MrSMW

Yup, very few 'reviews' etc out there in YouTubeLand. Couple of in depth web reviews etc, but the problem with this camera is almost all of the content is initial review stuff and not from people who have actually invested their own money and used properly. There's a bit more FP, having been around longer, but FP-L not so much. Unless you can understand Japanese. Quite popular in Japan!

It would be interesting to see a side by side comparison between the FP-L and the S5…and I could have done that with my loaner last year, but didn’t. Playing around, I felt it was about comparable, ie, the S5 when fine-tuned is reasonably decent whereas the FP-L, at least on original firmware (and I don’t know if there have been tweaks since?) wasn’t as good as my old XT3.

That is pretty much the sum of it for this user… I’d also like a little less size & weight which is the second gripe many have with the S line and in an interview I read with one of the head honchos over at Panny a few months back, he basically stated they were working on that. Whether that meant a further development in the S5 line or that the S1 line might go on a slight diet, remains to be seen, but I can imagine that even just a 10% reduction combined with greatly improved AF would be a bit special. I also think these days, they wouldn’t have to worry too much about spending money on marketing, - just build the thing, put it out there and if it’s ‘a bit good’, the hype train will market it for them.

Looking more closely, I can see it now, moving from left to right over some dunes.

I’d call that more ‘camel’ than ‘beige’.

Along with ensuring you maximize the capture in the first place, ie, not hanging it all on fixing in post. But otherwise yes, pretty much all cameras for some time have the potential in this regard and the choices really come down to; badge, ergos, build, size, weight, price and yes, some elements of the spec, but otherwise…

I tested one last year and almost pushed the button but for the lack of 4K 50p. And a tilt screen. And IBIS. And a mech shutter, but apart from that… But seriously, as a pure cine machine, I think it would be great. I almost very recently considered one with the Panny 24-105 f4, mainly because I had the lens and for the OIS and then done the aftermarket tilt screen. But then I asked myself, over my S1H…and decided nah. Looking forward to seeing what you do with it and what Sigma do next…

I don’t use the video side of my S1R’s too much to be honest Andrew. My set up is: S1H 100% video, cine lens S5 100% video, tripod longer duration stuff, any tracking elements. S1R’s primarily stills but will flick over to video if there’s a need…such as there was the other week when I had an oh shit moment and a full card in the middle of something with the S1H and spare card was in another building across a lawn. No problem, just flipped to the S1R and shot it hybrid. I can’t remember off hand what options it has for video as I shoot the natural profile. It’s all packed away for tomorrow’s shoot but can check back soon on that. Otherwise great bit of kit and SL2 was the other choice as you might remember when you were selling yours. Less than 1/2 price SL2. I picked my first one up, mint/basically unused off a colleague for 1600 euros. The second off MPB for 1700 euros ‘excellent’ but more like new to me. I don’t like the position of the on off switch or the orange top screen lighting, but otherwise it just feels right in the hand, robust, does the job. Superb files.

I made the S1R my 'FP-L'. Bigger and heavier sure, but; better handling, IBIS, 4k 50/60p (albeit 8 bit), tilt screen, mechanical shutter so banding isn't ever even a consideration. But I do love the idea of an FP...just for my needs, it's neither FP or FP-L much as I wish it. Please please please Panny, if you do bring out a next gen S line, also add a rangefinderesque body into the line up. A rangefinderesque version of the S1R/S1H = phwoar in my book 😀 Or Sigma please please please make a next gen FP and address at least some of the main concerns. I think the e:shutter only can be got around by more processing power a la Z9, the handling can be by aftermarket stuff so not a 'real' issue, but the tilt screen would make an enormous difference (I know there's an aftermarket jobbie, but honestly, could you be arsed/risk it?) and for me, 4k 50p is my go to. Fingers crossed for something from someone, some time in the future...

I was going to suggest the Meike S35’s…until I read this! I looked at all the options and came very close to the DZO’s which are slightly smaller and lighter and of course the full frame Meikes are slightly bigger and heavier than the S35 line, but that’s what I chose. Bigger and heavier than I’d like, especially as they need to be adapted for my use, but that brings the benefit of being able to use Fotodiox’s VND ef to l Mount adapter, so worth it. To me. Makes for a big old near 2.5kg lump with the S1H but for me is an outstanding combo. Having said that, only shot 1 job to date with the setup but have 3 within the next 10 days…

He does some very good stuff with lighting. I was looking for a replacement last week for a light panel of mine that stopped working so went on Da Toob for some insight... Dozens of 'reviews', mostly unboxings (wish those things would die) of the intended light panel used indoors in low light...where of course it's going to work! But Markus was the only one I could find actually testing the thing how I'd want to use it. Outside, in full sunshine. Inside, in low light was a given, - I wanted some real world evidence how something was going to work with a back-lit subject around sunset. Answers provided.

I like Markus. He’s an individual, a character and an enigma. Seems genuine to me. Seen the making of his movie but don’t think I could manage to watch it even though I have a nostalgic fondness for some of those 80’s movies. But fair play to what he achieved and the incredible number of hats he wore on that production.

I have no idea why that giant robot emoji is in my post above. I have edited it twice to delete it and it keeps reappearing! Has the forum been invaded?

Ah sorry @Django didn’t purposely attribute that comment re. Dan Watson to you but the forum software did when I quoted the line! Apologies sir! Actually I agree to an extent re. some of Canon’s stuff… In fact if I wasn’t shooting what I am using, as I have said elsewhere, it would probably be a pair of R6’s and an R5. R3 looks pretty decent also as does the R5c. I always state ‘for my needs’ and this is where the R7 just fails for me and that is because I shoot 4K 50/60p and a 1.6 + 1.8 crop is just a bit nuts to my mind! I accept that I have a 1.5x crop shooting FF Panny, but coming from Fuji, I’m used to it. 1.6 + 1.8 though is pretty lame.

I’m not really one to comment on others or label them as shills, but I had to stop watching that one halfway as I found it utterly sycophantic. Everything he reviews is the best thing ever. Sorry, but a lot of it simply is not. I’m pretty uninspired by what’s being produced these days but at the same time, makes me quite pleased…smug even, I have switched and have stuck to Panasonic and L Mount. Other than the grossly exaggerated size/weight/cost and less than stellar tracking AF, I still think it’s the best all round system out there. For me. Will they carry on with it and bring out a next gen S2 line? I hope so and hope equally as hard, they don’t fuck it up. Canon just seem intent on beating themselves to death. Sony arguably has the best all round kit all factors considered, but it’s boring as hell to me. Nikon seem to have finally upped their game with the Z9 and if they can now, as I presume they will, trickle that down into some smaller, more affordable and actually available bodies, then good for them. Still waiting to see what Fuji do with these XH2’s. OM-1 highly interesting, but still not entirely convinced and seems to be very adventure and wildlife orientated, which is fine and it’s the camera I’d most like to test. GH6 got more interesting than I thought it would, but the AF still concerns me as for part of my work, I do have a need. Holy Grail, still as yet, undiscovered. R7 summary, I suspect it will be great for stills, but as a serious video machine for say us wedding video people? Nah, it’s the R7 Double Cripple Special. The R10 I kind of get, sub 1k entry level mirrorless, but the R7… Is it deliberate or are they just willfully obtuse over at Canon Towers?

Ah, slips of the tongue/keyboard. At one of my weddings recently, during the speeches, the Father Of The Bride, kept referring to the celebrant as the celibate. I knew what you meant from the start but do like to milk a faux pas 😜

Is it? Rhetorical question... I've recently quietly removed and put away all my 1/8th Pro Mist filters plus turned my in camera sharpening back up. Why? Well ideally, I'd like to have kep the Pro Mist's but the reality is that in certain lighting conditions, green reflections show up in the footage. I can't stand that anymore so ditched them. Re. sharpening,I've come to the conclusion that it's easier and better to soften in post than it is too sharpen and some footage just looks too soft without a degree of sharpening. I don't like the digital look and want my wedding productions to look 'cinematic', but I always try not to do things for the sake of doing things because that's what you are 'supposed' to do. YMMV of course and that's fine but my (again rhetorical) question is when is 'good enough' good enough and how far beyond 'good enough' are we? But things have to progress I know and companies need to bring out new product etc... Just musing really...

and use indecent lighting.

Somewhere, someone is asking the question, “this or the new Arri? I shoot kids sports games, cats and feature films”.

When the lighting in the production is really good, that’s what they use on porn videos I suspect.

I guess, as the saying goes, if I have to ask, then I can't afford it, but what is the cost going to be for one of these? 50k+? I'm not the market nor ever will be, but I'm kind of interested in how the high end tech can trickle down to the 'lower-mid' point (S1H) where I live.

So if my man maths is correct, a 50mm = 50mm x 1.8 = 90mm x 1.6 = 144mm? So you'd need an 8mm to shoot the equivalent of a 24mm? Is that correct? If so, it's a hilariously bad.

I might get a pair to shoot weddings with. What's the AF like? (Not really and I'm not interested in proper cine cameras because I'm not a proper filmmaker)

That's about the sum of it... Since moving from APSC Fuji to FF Panny, I don't notice a whole lot on the video front as I'm shooting cropped for the 4k 50p, but on the stills side, I noticed a small, but still discernible difference. And that was from 26mp XT3 to 24mp S5. But then moving from 24mp S5 to 47mp S1R, it's a much more noticeable jump. Would clients notice? Nah. But I do and I pleasing myself is a large part of the equation. As the actress said to the bishop. I could easily make a business case for shooting 2x R6's and a single R5 with the R6's more video and lower res stills-orientated and the R5 mostly just high res stills. But, that would be a sideways move for me so no real world gain. In fact it would cost me a shit-ton of money to make that sideways move and I'd only do it if AF was a priority. I do like the idea of a smaller/lighter system and am not opposed to going back to APSC, but I'd want at least 30mp and the R7 ticks that box as will the XH2 40mp version coming later this year. But then simply being smaller/lighter is still not enough reason for me to actually change. Never say never and I am watching this space, but more as a long term pondering a year or even two in the future kind of way.

As a hybrid shooter, I think I'd still prefer an R6/R5 pairing. A lot more money I know, but then I don't think I'm the target market for either of these new cameras. And not in the market for anything anyway! But I do like to see what new stuff is coming out even if it isn't for me 🙂