MrSMW

I think a lot of it is the luck of the draw... On one day, the more popular retailer will have the stock, but then the next, the less popular will have it simply because ‘everyone’ went to the other. I preordered from CVP in the UK somewhere around the late-middle Sep and received very early Oct so had mine about one month now.

Shout out to Kotaro and Hanna for making the interview 😬

No chance of renting here in rural SW France. Paris or other big city maybe but not here. My set up going forward really is 3 identical cameras, 5 lens options including 2 zooms and all working on a single day as hybrids: 35mm f1.8, 85mm f1.8, 45mm f2.8, 20-60mm and 70-300mm. Three of which don’t quite exist yet... Also have the drone (Mavic Air) a tiny bag of audio gear, 1 carbon tripod, 1 freestanding monopod, 1 lightweight light stand and 1 dimmable & directional LED and that is it. OK, a couple of spare batteries and a power bank plus some ND’s but that really is it. All fits in a single 30 litre backpack except the monopod which fits in my hand. It’s the minimum I need for providing photo & video at a wedding, event or for my documentary commercial work with the essence being I get out of the car and pick up 1x backpack, 1x monopod and still have 1x free hand to lock the car but not shake hands with people as we don’t do that any longer. But then I might want to go into the mountains and shoot a 96mp raw landscape and can also do that with the S5 and the lenses I have (or will have) for proper work. I have found that for stills it’s as accurate as anything out there...but not tested that at a wedding of course and no amount of testing or other work can really test gear like a wedding!

Yes I have wavered over whether it’s my ‘one ring to rule them all’ camera...or in my case 3 bodies as that’s what I need, but there’s more than ‘enough’ for it to be so for me. Best camera I have owned and used to date. Not that I am buying any more bodies right now as tomorrow here in France, we are back into at least another 4 week lockdown and I don’t have any need anyway until April ‘21...if that even happens and with these crazy times, who knows. My only remaining question is how will it work with a fast native prime and as I am not investing in the 50mm f1.4 because it is; too big, too heavy, too expensive and not a focal length for me, but I am looking forward to that 85mm f1.8 that is supposed to be coming next month. Actually 2 questions, the second being how will the whole eventual kit of 3 bodies + 5 lenses work on a real wedding day...but by then it will be too late as I will have spent the cash. But only if weddings are properly back on! Not anticipating any issues however as I shot weddings in 2012 on a pair of X Pro1’s on original firmware and the AF on those things was like a snail on mogadon. And the S5 is in another league, albeit not the same league as Nikon or Fuji and never mind Canon or Sony. I had 3 other hybrid projects lined up; a glassworker, an upholsterer and a classic car restorer, but all now on ice due to Covid and not even allowed out to photograph the autumnal leaves which will all be gone by December 🤬

Something else I noticed was that when the; R5, R6, S5, A7Siii etc embargos were lifted, every man, dog and MeTuber had a review. Nikon announce the new Zzzzzz’s and I think some bloke in Australia mentioned it. Briefly. OK, slight exaggeration, but seemed to be a LOT less reviews and general buzz about it. That suggests to me Nikon’s marketing department are idiots.

Indeed. This is me, the hybrid shooter. I don’t want cables and monitors and additional batteries and cages and rails and gimbals and... just a camera and a lens. At the same time, I am realistic and don’t expect to get ‘everything’ and there has to be some form of compromise somewhere, but once again, another manufacturer fell short in one key area. If I hadn’t settled on the S5 (only criticism, the AF) then I think the XT4 is next best for my needs when I had hoped it was going to be Z6ii. Great that they are offering raw externally in principal, but I just think there is more important stuff that should have been a priority. But then I don’t know if there are technical limitations. Ultimately, they give us what they give us and not a great deal we can do about it.

Nikon have lost the plot. Raw options appeal to about 7 people on planet Earth whereas internal 10 bit options to around 7 billion. Great that they wish to offer these things but they need to be competitive in the wider market to survive.

It’s been there for a few days now, just update your software!

Anyone else received confirmation of their free Sigma lens? After a bit (too much in my opinion) of wrangling, I just received notification from Panasonic Europe/France/Somewhere, that I would be receiving mine within the next 4 weeks. Looking forward to something a bit faster than the f3.5-5.6 kit lens which is great as a stills or video lens at the wide end, but it’s just a little slow at the long end for my tastes. Also looking forward to some news on the 85mm f1.8 (for photo and video) and then the 70-300, the latter especially because 60mm doesn’t quite cut it for my kind of landscape photography work. Not interested in it for video as the 85 will be more than long enough.

Good listen.

Finally, Lightroom 10! VERY impressed with the Panny raw files SOOC. I have done 3 full hybrid shoots (results on Instagram ‘Atelier Firehorse’ if anyone is interested) but this is the first time I have been able to process the raw files. Slightly limited on my most recent job as the kitchen environment meant 6400 iso at f5.6 on the long end of the 20-60. I could have upped the ISO to 12800 but it worked out OK. Just. Shutter speeds were getting a bit low... The raw files needed very little work. I pretty much did some minor cropping, leveled some horizons, adjusted a few exposures, sometimes a bit of contrast or clarity. No sharpening, no presets or anything else. It bodes well for when I can get some f1.8 lenses working on the system. Looking forward to the 70-300 for my landscape work as it should be smaller and lighter than the f4 70-200 and the f2.8 is just overkill for me. Hopefully that 85mm f1.8 shows up next month as promised! Anyone got their Sigma 45mm f2.8 yet? I have been added to a list in France so still hoping...

I still may come back to Fuji... Right now, my only camera and lens is the S5 and 20-60mm. It’s a brilliant combo for most of my needs but came up against 2 needs in the last week and that is the need for a pair of fast(ish) primes and the 35 & 85 f1.8’s should take care of that, plus a ‘long’ landscape lens and a 70-300 is due sometime soon. But it’s weddings that are my primary income so will need to test one of the above primes in some kind of social environment to just confirm to myself the whole system/combo is good enough for my needs... ...or it’s a pair of XT4’s, Smallrig grips and set of f2 primes. Unless an XH2 appeared by next Spring and that would be more likely. I do like the new Fuji but I’d be kidding myself it was suitable for my needs.

I bought a pair of the originals. Hated them. Sold them. It wasn't really their fault, - just a bit fiddly and 2 more things to set up, switch on, switch off, put away... And these things are always about 'wider' but actually I am probably an abnormality because I would prefer longer! It was the one thing that annoyed me about my DJI OSMO Action that I replaced the 2 Pockets with, - it did not have a zoom or cropped function like my old Go Pro had. So I sold that also.

Even though I had one, I always seem to forget that the 16-80 exists. OK, changing my 'one and done' to X-S10 + 16-80. Also it's a constant aperture. And the lens is WR. Personally, for me, I'd still go XT3 + Smallrig grip because; it's cheaper, better video, prefer the screen type and weather sealed. But both I think are equally valid options.

By the sounds of it, this camera should be perfect for you and your needs. I think this mated with the 18-55 'kit' lens and 99% of any users needs would be covered. Unless you absolutely need weather sealing in which case a used XT3 can be had for even less money and perhaps even more sense? Grip not quite enough? (XT3) Add a Smallrig for about 30 'your currency'. Otherwise I think your analysis is about right; 4/3rds we have G9/GH5/Olympus, at APSC, Fuji and then it's the full frame options. The S5 with the 20-60mm kit lens also makes a very compelling 'one and done' option and is both smaller and lighter than say a G9 or GH5 with 10-25mm lens and the sensor is something like 17x bigger 😉

I’m *cough* intrigued to see what it is you are *cough* offering whenever that time comes @BTM_Pix 😀

I'm not a gimbal person, but it's certainly interesting in regard to the future and what is still to come. As a Panasonic user, I'm more interested in the AF side of things 😄

I get away with it because I am shooting very slow paced stuff in the first place and then slowing it in post by 50%. I should add I DO use a variable ND and fixed 1/100th when shooting 50p purely video and it’s for hybrid I don’t as I am constantly flicking back and forth hundreds of times over the course of a day.

When I say 'made it work in 2019', I should add that I made it work for me by: A. Adding the battery grip and batteries for handling purposes and for the battery power. B. Fringer Pro adapter so I could use, C. The Sigma 18-35mm f1.8 and Tamron 45mm f1.8 but although the Tamron offered me some OIS capability, the Sigma didn't so I used the combo on a freestanding monopod the whole time. With my S5 and lens, it's already; more capable and in a smaller and lighter package. AF is probably in the 'comparable' range but still to be determined and no scientific tests here. The IBIS however should mean a lot more time off monopod, but again, another thing to be determined. If I'd stuck with Fuji...or if I decide the S5 is not quite right for my wedding needs (it is for everything else, no question and absolutely a keeper) then I would go XT4 and use the 23mm f2 and 50mm f2 and possibly the 90mm f2, the 50 not having quite the range I'd like. I have used all 3 lenses before and for video, along with the 16-55 f2.8 and 18-55 f2.8-4, considered the 23mm f2 and 50mm f2 the pick of the primes. But not the 35mm f2 which was a hunty little bugger. Some potentially interesting Tokinas primes coming, if they ever get around to it...

Agreed @Kisaha I think Fuji joined the hybrid bandwagon at least a year or two behind the curve. On the video side, they caught up very quickly and the options and quality out of the XT3 and XT4 are superb. What is really holding them back though is indeed their lenses and the prime (no pun intended) reason why I left them after 8-9 years. I do think they should have gone XH2 rather than XT4, ie, made the XT4 but in the XH body and that would at least have kept me happy and quite a few others. But that stills leaves the question over the lenses... I made it work in 2019, but sold almost all my gear intending to move on Spring this year, but as we all know, the C word stepped in and stomped all over our lives. Maybe a good thing for me as with the delay, the S5 came on the market and after a few initial wobbles, IMO is the best hybrid out there. I think there is too much internet twaddle talked over the AF which admittedly, is not the best, but it's not total dog doo either! Anyway, this is a Fuji thread so vive la S-X10 or whatever it's called 🤩

XH2?

I'm not one of those that likes to piss on others parades, but it's about as exciting as the new Nikonzzz

I should explain my hybrid use as maybe it will be explain my ‘delay’... I have: C1 set for stills C2 set for indoor video, shutter priority 1/100, auto aperture (but of course it goes for the lowest as a result as intended), plus auto ISO which is where the exposure in this case is mostly controlled. C3 set for outdoor video, AP, auto shutter, auto ISO and because I do not use an ND or give a flying fig for the 180 degree shutter rule, don’t care if my shutter speed is in the thousandths as it usually is and a exposure here is mostly controlled by shutter speed as intended. Why no ND you crazy mofo? Hybrid use/stills as in many scenarios where it might be fine for video, but not for the stills plus I’ve never noticed anything negative by ignoring the 180 degree rule. I never go below 1/100 though for the slow mo. I only shoot 4K 50p as I never know which bit of footage I may wish to slow but I slow a lot of it. I conclude that the delay that I am experiencing is the camera switching from full frame to cropped mode and back? Probably not how most work but I do what works for me and if it doesn’t fit within the rules...well so what! I shot another job today, hybrid and was mostly testing the IBIS and had it in AF most of the time unless it was particularly tricky. I found the tracking AF option pretty sticky unless the subject went completely out of frame, otherwise, very promising. Need to review the footage though... But ditto @herein2020 loving the camera so far and so far, not missing the XT3...and I loved that camera.

Just used mine this week on another commercial hybrid capture project and it was superb in all regards. One minor niggle and that is when switching from stills to video or back, it takes a few seconds to set itself up. Another is write speed is a little slow at times, ie, switch to video following a few stills and there's a few extra seconds there whilst it's writing. Nothing that's deal-breaking to me, just niggles I have become aware of and need to work around. @herein2020 Yes, everything I have read points to Sigma lenses being best on the Sigma camera, Leica on Leicas and Panasonic on Panasonic. The first of the f1.8 primes, the 85mm is due in Nov and the rest of the primes some time 'soon' and I guess the next best option is the native 24-70 f2.8, but it's a bit of an investment. I'm making do with the 20-60 until then (and it's pretty superb in it's own right, never mind at £200 which is what it cost in the deal purchase price) until those primes arrive. I was looking at a pair of Nikon Z6ii's for my hybrid wedding work for when that starts again (hopefully) in April, but now that Nikon have blown it for me and are passing into history, I'm really looking forward to those primes as 3x S5's are looking like my next 3 years future.

On Nikon’s own website it reads 4K 60p at 8 bit AND DX-crop mode. In multiple places.