MrSMW

Flat or neutral profile or whatever it’s called I’m afraid.

Company A. “We will make ours overheat”. Company B. “We will give ours autofocus from the mid 90’s”. Company C. “We will withhold anything that might compete with our cinema line”. Company D. “We will produce the best camera…but then make it absolutely massive and heavy”. Company E. “We will keep on doing retro funky but segment our product lines so no single camera within our lineup can do it all”. Company F. “Ve don’t give ze two sheetz about your gentleman’s agreement and vill continue to sell to ze dentist market”.

No just in camera, I am a run & gun hybrid video shooter and don’t (can’t) rig anything out. But same scenes shot back to back with the S5, just no contest.

This was pretty much my conclusion a couple of weeks back. It's fair to say I have been wrestling with the L Mount system for 2 years now and have it mostly working, but still some niggles. I had originally decided to jack it all in and go Sony simply because it would iron out those last few niggles...but at what cost? Well 10k+ to change cost actually and that is ultimately what stopped me. Or at least having to put up a 10% deposit on the new house which killed any available funds anyway! At the same time, I have not 'convinced' myself as such, but simply decided to sit tight (with a few changes in the lens department), use what I have and enjoy that until such a time in the future when it is right to make any further changes, whatever they may be. But otherwise, yes all of them are literally just one component away from having the 'perfect' tool, for me. Except Sigma FP which is about 17...but I still love it 😁

Well I've just edited 2 weddings where I used the OM-1 and have to say, dodged a bullet with that one. The 4k 50p is not even in the same conversation as Panasonic's S35 crop from full-frame. Not even in the conversation with the 8 bit out of the S1R. Thin and horrid colour. Trying to match it is a nightmare. Low light, rubbish. Fortunately, I only used it for long static stuff rather than a couple of hundred clips, but nope, thank fcuk I stuck with L Mount. You'd have to drag me kicking and screaming into 4/3rds World now 😜

Ah, I did not know that... I think if someone has say 100+ posts, they have probably been around for a while and it's those 1-3 posters who pop up when something comes up for sale that would concern me.

Why not? As long as any potential purchaser has a reasonable history… It’s any offers from someone who does not where you need to be wary!

If you cannot trade at your local bricks & mortar, then someone like MPB. Or as above, roll the dice on somewhere like eBay and be prepared for some heartache.

It's not that black & white. Just on the financial side alone, on a like for like basis, including my trade in kit, I would be looking at a min 10k cost. But otherwise, I agree that the edge that Panny had in video a couple of years ago, at least on paper has been equalled or exceeded by some others with their more recent products. As we always say, most kit these days is more than good enough for the task so it's more a case of what works best for you vs the cost. Otherwise it's a bit of 'everything' isn't it... build, ergos, menus, record limits, overheating (or lack of), reliability, AF (if you need it), lens options, size, weight, familiarity (which IMO is an underrated big one) etc...

I'm not very techy, but I guess that is what they mean/are working on? Or at least exploring... Indeed who says PDAF has to be the epitomy of AF. Like with so many new things, new tech comes along... I don't care what it is, as long as it works...

Oh and from what I have read...and it's all a bit sketchy TBH, but it 'sounds like' Panasonic are looking at both Lidar and PDAF and possibly have not quite made up their minds as to which. But that would be concerning over any new S series in the Spring as they would have had to have made that decision a loooong time back such is the development of these things. At least as I understand them. I would suspect...and it's purely a best guess/instinct, they not already know, but have as above, long since made whatever the decision is and maybe we'll get some leaks sooner rather than later. My money is on them bringing something out in the Spring and I suspect it will be some kind of amalgamation of the S5 and S1 in terms of size and hopefully in 3 different flavours; S2, S2R and S2H. At least that's what I'd like to see... If they did do that and the spec was to my preferred requirements in my previous post, it would then simply be a case of trade in my current bodies as soon as, or see out the next season and then do it over the Winter break. The prices of 'old' units will probably drop quite a bit I imagine but if I'm mid season, until I have any new kit, I can't offload any old. We'll see but I do think it would be pure suicide to launch anything now that does not have up to scratch AF.

For every users negative experience, there is another users positive. The only way to answer the question, is try one; either on a rental or sale and return basis. With Fuji, the more recent lenses tend to work better.

Yes, I would very much like to know 'if' closely followed by 'when?'. Surely they could not realistically release another camera without some form of 'on par' AF? I think they'd bomb 100% if they did not. And other than perhaps a size & weight concern for some, it's not just their weakness, but their Achilles Heel. For some dedicated hardcore filmmaking purists, maybe not, but to the other 99% of the market, decent AF is a must. I've wrestled with it for the last 2 years now. OK, it's ONLY been an issue for less than 5% of my work where I need decent forward or backward tracking and there IS a workaround (it's called f8), but it's not ideal and I came sooooooo close to flipping to another brand to counter this. That 5% need may be small, but it's a very important 5%. But ultimately I decided against switching at this point in time and will go at least all of 2023 before making any changes for the simple reason that the cost to change is not worth it for the workaround. Basically, it's a ballpark figure of 10k to make the move and it would be Sony because despite having zero desire to go with them, currently the package I'd be looking at with them works better than the package with anyone else. But as above, I am sticking with L Mount for at least 2023. In the process of having 2 bodies repaired from '22 battle damage, dumped a whole load of lenses (still have an EF Meike 50mm T2.1 cine if anyone is interested?!) and purchasing a few faster f1.4 primes and one new zoom. All Pannyboy need to do to NOT cock it up for me with their next FF camera is: A. Reliable AF at least close to if not better than current Canon/Sony. B. Ideally, S5 size, but with the S1H style screen. C. Ideally no crop 6k 50p / 4k 100p, 10 bit, internal. Job done. I'll buy 3.

Panasonic themselves may have little to do with it (other than the cash back) as Amazon is full of re-sellers. Maybe it’s them with the temporary amazeballs deals?

At that price, very tempting! I might have even been tempted myself…except I am in the middle of selling and moving to Northern France, so have no spare cash right now 🤪

Leave us wedding people alone!!!!! 😘

Another gem. I have had this for L Mount since it came out and the fact that it’s APSC is no issue as I only use it as a 4K 50p video lens and that’s cropped with Lumix so is just a tiny f2.8 27-75mm.

And I presume there is a market for that as there is in most countries but also as in most countries, there is more than one market. Discerning folks with deeper than average pockets don’t rummage in the ‘bargain’ basement section. They never have. They never will. They just don’t.

Or try but give up very quickly because it just complicates their lives massively plus the fear of cocking up the photography side…which as I say has been and at least for now, continues to be great for me 😬

Practice practice practice and a lot of dead ends! Year 1, 100% photo + 10% video Year 2, 100% photo + 20% video Year 5, 100% photo + 50% video Year 10, 100% photo + 100% video It’s been like learning to juggle. I started with just 2 balls, added another each year, dropped them more times than I’d care to remember but otherwise dedication. Plus the tech these days is better than it was 10+ years ago. I’m always amazed that MORE are NOT doing it, but as long as it is not the norm, good for me and my business!

Bingo! This with the Lumix 24-105mm f4 for the OIS.

Ha, it was you @Anaconda_ I’ll need to trawl back through the thread to find it I think?!

And has a rear tilt screen mod. I’m sure I have seen another where there was something like a Ninja V used as a rear tilt screen (rather than perched on top which I despise)…

All both of them? 😆

Correct. Some folks ‘think’ they know, but like juggling chainsaws, it requires a bit of practice! Unless you look at it as holding/using a lens that just happens to have a small camera body attached to it! 🤔😬