MrSMW

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.

FX30 = 2.36 FX2 = 1.04 I think it’s one of the coolest looking cameras ever, the FX line and that tilt EVF ‘looks’ great and for folks that like and use that kind of thing, it probably is, but I don’t have the time and have been an LCD shooter for years now. It’s just a speed thing for me constantly hopping between stills on one body and video on another and the less differences the better. I don’t think the camera is as good as my Panny’s for video and I already have a better Sony stills unit…but I really had hoped it would be good as a true hybrid for my needs, but that LCD just killed it for me 😏

But then we would not benefit from his/her/their annual single (on average) contribution. I feel enlightened already.

It took 13 years to come to these conclusions? Anyway, did you buy your camera back in 2012 and make your film, or are you still thinking about it? Progress updated appreciated.

After 850+, I’m still thinking about it… 😂

and would suit me very well…if it just had a better rear LCD, but they cheaped out on it and lost a potential sale because of that. And I am not the only one. It defies all logic and sense to me and is the equivalent of a company putting their middle finger up at the potential purchased and saying, “don’t buy it then”. OK I won’t and that’s a bigger loss to you than it is to me. There are sub €1000 cameras with a better rear LCD. I don’t pick holes in shit for the sake of it either and this in every other regard was a very strong contender for me and they blew it 😏

Should try it as a hybrid shooter doing full photo and video as a one man band. Some say it can't be done. The evidence of my website and the last 20+ years says otherwise! The key word there was 'logistics' along with; planning/a routine that is tried and tested, plus a shit ton of trial & error prior! Took 6 years to go from scratch to being comfortable with it and then just been refining ever since. And continuing to do so...

I have the same policy in that a job isn't just a job as in all jobs are the same, but some do not fit into a standard box or coverage. In my genre of weddings, having everything take place in one single location is a completely different beast to; bride getting ready at X, groom at Y, ceremony at A, reception at B, which can make for HUGE logistical issues.

2 years ago, I bought a cheap cart off Amazon and use that to lighten the load. 1 year ago, I revised some of my kit to get the weight down. This year, I revised it even further. And guess what is happening next year? Yep, reducing it again. Providing you can still do what you need to do without compromise, or at least compromise that you can live with, less is more. That tripod that is ‘the best’, well maybe it is, but can that lighter alternative do the same job? Ditto that body, that lens, that light… In less than 2 years, I reduced both my stills and video cameras, in hand weight by about half with changes of body, lenses and accessories. But Canon, no idea, but I would suspect none of the recent one’s do. At least not under normal circumstances.

Makes perfect sense, especially when traveling

I think it’s great. Another camera that could have been great but isn’t so I have utterly zero interest in and therefore will not be spending any money on. Keep it up camera industry, you are doing good and keeping my money firmly in my bank account 🫡

Not to bring religion into it, but Jesus wept. The column highlighted is in the classic Ionic style. They need to stop teaching the classics at places such as Oxford, Cambridge or in architecture. And knock down what remains of Ancient Greece.

Got to love a bit of diffraction 🙈

It's my favourite lens for video. Easily. Has been for I think this is the third year with it? Maybe the 4th, - since it was launched anyway. It's under 500g, barely extends, fixed aperture, works like a 42-105 in crop mode, has some character and...well what is not to like really? You can keep your much larger and heavier 24-70's! The Tamron 28-75mm f2.8 is just as viable and I have that also. For stills this year and last, though if I switch to Nikon or Sony for video next year, will use that instead.

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’.