MrSMW

I just start a new timeline with the finished production as a single entity. Or rather that is what I have been doing to date with the few attempts I have made. I think what I will do now, for the rest of this year at least, is introduce a new chapter as it were in my process which is after culling, importing, colour grading, while the clips are all still 6k 30p on a 6k 30p timeline, but prior to any speed changes, transitions, graphics, text etc, is export a 3:2 6k copy and then pull the stills from that. These will then match my same baked in LUT stills also in 3:2. I can then import the results from both into Lightroom as a single set for any final grading and reexport as JPEGs. The only thing I hoped to do other than this was have AI find, select and export 350-500 frames from clips for me…amd maybe that software exists and if it doesn’t it should as that will be one of those things worthy of the title ‘game changer’. Kills or at least severely limits the photographer in me, but hey, choices…

I’m not sure how much of this ARRI log C3 is over-hyped… Having looked at some of the footage shot side by side with standard log, very little difference and with some samples, I prefer the standard log. And anyway, the Phantom LUTS by Joel F are designed to ‘mimic’ various versions of ARRI. I’m more than happy with those and think they look better than the standard log…which itself to me looks better in most cases than this new cost option download. None of these things will turn your $3000 mirrorless into an actual ARRI camera, but then how many can afford, never mind need an ARRI 35? Not a fan of subs either. Pretty sure it’s not for me.

Very logical, for my specific needs anyway. I had even considered going back to the S1R and never wanted to part with my S1H, but both would have been a compromise in my current and future workflow. And yes, for the kind of work we do in the conditions we do, the S5ii (or X) is a better option. Well straight out of the box anyway as there are some workarounds such as dummy batteries, recording to SSD and in some folks cases, simply having the right fan settings on in the camera in the first place! Or even do what I do and that is if I am going to have my static’s outdoors in direct sunlight for any length of time, prior to switching them on, I chuck a white handkerchief over each with an elastic band. Makes a HUGE difference. Costs literally nothing except the thought process in the first place. It does seem though very much a case of the user error stuff aside, having these mega sensors, writing to CF Express (which tend to get hotter than SD) in a body that has not increased in size, has resulted in a big chunk of post-release negativity which has the diehard Sony Boys laughing and pointing. 99.9% sure that it won’t affect me due to my intended use, but I guess I’ll find out over the rest of this Summer eh? Also, the launch price put me off. That coupled with the fact they did not take the body as far as I hoped they would, but I picked up an open box unit for £2700 which is not far off what I have been offered for the A7RV, so even with my next 2 lens purchases, with my 2 body plus 4 lens sales, depreciation aside (I’ve had my fair working use out of my kit), this whole deal is not really costing me anything. And the icing on the cake for me is that I get to keep and use the S9 alongside it as a sidekick. I shall call them Batman & Robin.

I am going to try Andrew’s free version and see if that works in any way for me. I need to take a look at Lumix’s LUT stacking feature as I need to burn it in due to the way I work, ie, bake in both the conversion and a creative LUT. Not down that before so will need to investigate… I also need to be able to do it for my stills from the same camera as everything needs to match perfectly going forward.

I looked at the R5C and the C80, - I looked at EVERYTHING, before pinning my colours to the Lumix mast, but nothing else either made the cut or was financially realistic. The closest based on availability today, would be a Z8 + Zf + pair of Z6iii’s and it was very very close… The Z8 probably just pips the S1Rii for me and for stills, the Zf easily beats the S9, but I still prefer the S5ii over the Z6iii for video…and overall, anything Lumix for video over anything Nikon. That might change in the future with the tie up with RED, but right now, it’s just 4 LUTs and Nikon video is lacking for me in 3 areas: no second card write back up, no bake in LUT and doesn’t have the multiple frame markers (I don’t think?) of Lumix. Canon had elements of my needs, but as an entire system was/is just too compromised and the cost to change was massive. I am pretty sure that before this time next year the game will have moved on, but I’ve got the opportunity to do something right now that suits me and will still have been a good move regardless of the future, so I’m more than happy with that.

Not especially no, but then maybe that’s because I am a hybrid wedding shooter and not a serious filmmaker? I mean it is/was on the list, but in no way would I switch to a camera purely just because it has marginally better highlight roll off when it isn’t so great in other areas, or completely misses the mark. My criteria as I stated was I am replacing both a 61mp and a 24mp cameras for a 44mp one. For stills which are 50% of my work, absolutely no way would I be considering a 12mp camera as a viable alternative. Does the A7Siii meet my requirements for ‘all in one system’? Sure as does the A7iv, the A7RV and well…any/all A7 and FX bodies, but do any of them meet my requirement to shoot 6k open gate video? Nope, not a single one. As I outlined in my reasoning, I have a minimum set of requirements in order to make any change and one of those was not better highlight roll off. I don’t think you are necessarily being ‘that guy’, but you completely ignored my requirements and instead posed a question based on what I guess would be your main priority. And that’s cool. But regarding highlight roll off specifically, have I considered it? No, not really. I’ve used full-frame Lumix now for 4.5 years and at no time have I considered it an issue and looking at the footage from the S1Rii that I have seen, haven’t noticed anything untoward. I haven’t looked at or even aware of any comparisons in this specific area either. So back to my best Scooby Doo voice, “Idunnoknow” 🤷‍♂️

🤷‍♂️ 🥱 😘 all in my best Scooby Doo impersonation

Decision made, I am sticking with LUMIX regardless of what Nikon or Sony do next. S1Rii inbound... Here's my reasoning and intentions for those that are interested in such things! Currently I am using: S9 + 2x S5ii for my video work, plus a Sony A7RV and a Nikon Zf for stills. That's 5 camera bodies plus 9 lenses spread over 3 systems with 3 different menus, batteries, handling/haptics etc. In summary, it works, but not without issues. I am switching to 4 camera bodies plus 7 lenses over 1 system. I have 3 principal aims: A: Reduce the amount of kit I have to work with and B: Have it all within one single cross-compatible system. C. Ability to pull 6k stills from video footage on a consistent basis. Nikon is or was an option with Z8 + 2x Z6iii + Zf and all my Tamron e:Mount lenses would work just fine, but the negatives for me are mainly; no write to second card back up, Vlog is easier/better to grade and looks better to my eye (marginal but looks that way to me) and costs a few thousand more than an all LUMIX line up. Sony has the best lens lineup options for me and I prefer the FX style bodies by a large margin, but no 6k camera (at least for now) kills it for me. Nikon may come out with this rumoured ZR for 2026 and it may answer some of my current Nikon criticisms...but it may not and if it does, c'est la vie, 'sideways' rather than anything I actually need. Ditto Sony. It's the lens lineup mainly that is the draw and if there was a 6k camera available now, I would probably have gone in that direction and in FX style bodies, it would have sealed the deal, but again, even if that comes into being by the end of this year, too late for me and I'm not a brand hopper for the sake of the latest new thing just because it's the latest new thing, ie, this current crop of ex-Sony Shillsters to now LUMIX Shillsters are all going to be hopping back in the direction of Sony within the next 6 months for sure. Nope, I can't and won't do that. If I have a Porsche, I might look at Ferrari or Aston and think, "yep, they're nice, but I already have a Porsche and it's fantastic". (I don't, - I have a used 150,000 miler Skoda Octavia Scout 😜 ) I'm 2 weddings in to a 17 wedding season and the new boy won't arrive in time for the next 2 which I leave for on Monday, but at least the 13 jobs after that will all be with the new system which will now comprise the following: S1Rii with Sigma 28-70mm f2.8 until I have sold all the stuff I need to sell and then will be picking up the Sigma 28-45mm f1.8 for indoor use and use my existing LUMIX 70-200mm f4 for outdoor use. I hate lenses that extend with zooming and neither of these do! Hybrid use, - mainly stills but I will also shoot video with this. S9 with 18/50/85mm f1.8 on freestanding monopod which is my current and going forward will now share duties with the S1Rii as my 'run & gun' units. Pair of S5ii's remain as my 2x statics with any 2 of the above 6 lenses that are not in use on the S1Rii or S9 at any given time, but at some point, I am going to add the Sigma 28-105mm f2.8 into the mix, ie, still 1 less body and 2 less lenses than I have currently been using this year and last, but the 28-105 will give me a bit more flexibility that my current L Mount lens lineup lacks. The only thing that put me off doing this sooner really was the body design... It's not that exciting and I was hoping for something more S1H or even Sony FX style but upon reflection, it's a better body than the S5ii being slightly chunkier, a MUCH better rear LCD and a few knobs and whistles that improve the overall use. Dream camera? Probably not, but a very very solid move (for me) I think. The bottom line is once you have pushed that button, how do you feel about it and will I miss the A7RV and Zf? I feel good about it actually because the positives outweigh any negatives and the Sony + Nikon pairing has been stellar, but there is simply a better (for me) option now. 7.2k 30p Open Gate Vlog here we come...

I’ll take a look at QuickTime, - I didn’t know that.

Just to be clear, I can already do this manually and incredibly tediously in my current editing software *cough* Premiere, but I am looking for something AI so I can skip losing a day of my life with each job. Cheers.

Anyone used anything like this with any success? Ie, take say a 10-12 minute finished video of 300+ clips and have the software frame grab 'the best' from each cut? I've had a go with BestFrame from FX Factory but it's crashed 4 times in a row now 🤪

OK, I have taken a look at the Arri option and not interested. In side by side comparisons with Vlog, sometimes I preferred one and sometimes the other, but Vlog more times than the Arri. And because I don’t need to match an actual Arri camera, zero need. And definitely not paying for it! More interested in the firmware update… So the S1Rii can now shoot open gate 8k, but it’s limited to 24p, ie, no PAL region 25p? That’s fucking weird! But that aside, I am considering my next move… I am looking for: 6k 50/60p, full frame, for screen grabs. S1Rii offers 5.9k 16:9 S1ii offers 5.1k 3:2 For vertical cropping purposes, there’s nothing in that really because although the S1Rii 16:9 is ‘less tall’, it’s got a bit of extra resolution/detail that makes up for supposedly more latitude 3:2 open gate? Anyway, I think that is a real world draw. General consensus seems to be that the S1Rii has a slightly better image and slightly better low light, so all factors considered for my needs, that’s an S1Rii win. Sony do not appear to have anything sub FX6 that can compete here? But correct me if I am wrong… Nikon has entered the chat… The Z8 then, it seems to be all or nothing to me from the specs as in yep, you can have 8k 60p, but it’s raw only, ie, mahoosive file sizes. Is there not an Nlog option for this? From the spec sheet, it appears 4k is the limit for 50/60p if I didn’t want to shoot raw? Or have I got that wrong also? Only interested in Lumix, Sony or Nikon for all kinds of reasons so if you even mention Canon or Black Magic, I will ghost you.

MPB 😂

Is that you Mr Bond?

Ah, the old 'Irish Screwdriver' technique. Always works. Except when it doesn't. I liked the concept of this camera, but never dared...

Truth. I had a client from just over 10 years ago come back to me the other day having lost what I provided for them. I went to see if I still had it and expecting it to be a bit trash compared with today, but was actually quite surprised. It stood up very well and the video was shot on GH3 and the photo on X Pro 2. I notice more things like technique and editing & grading choices, but as for the raw result, - the client wouldn't notice any 'upgrades' in a decade.

I think so yes. I have for a long time critiqued LUMIX regarding their marketing, or lack thereof and suspect they have indeed taken a leaf from the Sony playbook, of, "lets get our product out there into the hands of all influencers", rather than the seemingly limited way they used to do it. And many of those who were previous diehard Sony Shillboys, seem to have jumped ship and are now preaching The Gospel According To Lumix. I was an early adopter of Fuji when the X series came out and a large portion of the so-called 'professionals' scoffed. When they became too popular (in my eyes anyway), I jumped ship to the newly hatched lame duck that was LUMIX full frame. LUMIX seem to becoming 'the new Fuji'...which edges me closer back into being a Nikon boi which is where I started out back in the olden times. But where do LUMIX stand in 2025 without all the hype? Almost certainly top dog for 'consumer' video needs, as in hybrid style cameras rather than dedicated cine stuff. Lenses is where I think they still lack, - the entire L Mount collection. There's a lot in it, but also a lot of holes. And those holes are the one's that most suit my needs. So between the hype (which puts me off any brand) and the 'lens hole scenario', two compelling reasons for me to dismount from this particular train ride at the end of this season. But we shall see. The 'hype' alone is merely a 'negative distraction' really and. not a deal-breaker. Subject to finances, the lens situation will be the decider.

I think it’s just the American spelling of the word crater. And speaking of American education, how come some people are still at school in the US in their 20’s? They make us leave in the UK by age 18. They told me to go at 16. But I can still spell crater proply.

Isn’t a crater an impact site of destruction?

Yes it was up from 1.52 to 1.62 a litre with quite big queues of sheep all lining up to get there's. I decided not to bother and have another 400km in the tank to decide when to get more fuel...

I’ll find out when I go shopping later this morning but I expect any excuse to push prices up instantly that will then take an age to come down and never back to quite what they were. This is the cycle we are stuck in… Speaking of cycles, I wonder if I can get a pedal assisted (not fully human powered, - I don’t skip leg day, but that would be madness) version of my 2.75 ton van?

There’s a truth in that and every time I try a prime again, it’s pretty much straight back to a zoom. I recently invested in a set of Panny L Mount f1.8 primes and though I like the 50, the 18 is just too wide and I’m just not using the 85. So it’s back to the 28-70 f2.8, probably keeping the 50 as I do need something as I have ‘stolen’ back the 28-70 from one of my statics. The 18 and 85 I reckon I just need to sell but most likely trade for the Sigma 28-45mm f1.8 because for indoor work and my needs, I can’t see past it. I did look at this new 17-40, but no dice as I’m not going back to 4k crop when for the last 2 years, I’ve been shooting full frame 6k open gate.

Well I think so 😉 I checked out the new Sigma as soon as it was announced but as soon as I saw the size & weight, it was game over vs the full frame 28-70. As I said above though, for the APSC shooter, great and would be superb on a Fuji X or or Sony FX30!

Or, instead of forcing my 6k open gate camera into shooting 4k cropped, I can stick with my smaller and lighter Sigma 28-70 f2.8 🤔 Arguably, the new zoom is the equivalent of 1mm wider and 10mm longer in terms of focal range and arguably f1.8 is still f1.8 for light gathering purposes, but for DOF equivalencies, f2.7 = f2.8, but nah, zero real world gains for my needs and a HUGE downgrade from 6k open gate. Now if the lens was significantly smaller and lighter, maybe a small argument could be made, but nah… For APSC users, it’s a different matter and the lens makes sense. Just not for me.

My S9 sits smugly looking on. At sub 1k prices, its video spec is in another league.