MrSMW

I think if you are a dedicated videographer, it shouldn't be a problem... I shoot hybrid so I am not a dedicated videographer. All day long I am flicking between shooting stills, lowering that camera and popping up the second one to capture the same scene with video handheld. Sometimes, I need to do both at the same time such as: entrances, exits, confetti, vows/ring exchange/first kiss and in that case, the freestanding monopod directly in front of me comes into play so I can shoot stills while the video is doing it's own thing. Except vows/rings where I can lock focus. It's then that reliable AF is required and with the system, it mostly is OK providing the subjects are not moving too fast. And then there is full ceremony and full speeches coverage but that one is easy. Tripod, slightly wider angle than is needed (can always punch in with 4k) and focus locked off. It's really (for me anyway) those entrances/exits/confetti times when I need the reliable AF and the total of these parts of the day are around 2 minutes without vows/rings and not much more because focus can be locked for vows/rings. I can...and do, pop the ZV1 onto the S5 hotshoe as backup at these times as the tracking is excellent and though I don't really want to mix that footage in with the Panasonic S1H/S5 principal footage, for the sake of backup + a 10 second fiddle to pop on the ZV1, why not? For 2022, I've picked up a gimbal, so that might be 'interesting'... I don't intend to use it too much and will be getting some practice in over the next 8 weeks until my season starts, but as my S5 was relegated to the static video role only, I decided maybe I could use it a bit more so got myself a stormtrooper white Zhiyun Crane M3. I put a QR plate on the bottom instead of the standard tiny tripod thing so if it's not in the hand, it's sitting on a proper full size (but still lightweight) tripod. The whole lot; tripod, gimbal, camera & lens, weighs under 3kg so it's really light weight to shift about. It will be interesting to see how the AF stacks up though... I can't see myself using it outside of the drinks reception and the couple session and it's primarily for the latter I decided to get and try one. A few minor gentle push in or pull outs I'll just rely on my ninja moves with the S1H and IBIS, but it's any bigger movements where that doesn't work so well. Might try it (the gimbal) on the dancefloor also. Just need to get a bit more dynamism into some of my shooting some of the day... I have bought a gimbal twice before. And twice sent it back after setting it up. Too big, too heavy, too unwieldy/awkward. This new set up though I feel...at least ergonomically and from a size & weight POV, is OK. We shall see however because as is ALWAYS the case with weddings, it's only at weddings that any bit of kit is properly tested!

My bad, it’s the R6 that is 20mp isn’t it? 24mp for the R3, but shit, it ain’t cheap is it?!

The Z9 and the R3 are probably the best of the hybrids right now. The only black mark against them is probably size and the Sony A1 has that covered. The only thing that bothers me about the R3 is 20mp stills. Once you have tasted 47mp, it would be hard to go back! Maybe a pairing of R3 for video and an R5 for stills…but then, I am not very disposed right now to give Canon any of my money. I never say never however. Except just now. Twice.

Of course not, that would be silly. Instead, I think they quietly slipped in by way of firmware, the switch to activate the IBIS system. And possibly the hidden tilt screen trigger. And the mechanical shutter. It’s now utterly brilliant. In all seriousness, I did want to love and even purchase several of these little buggers, but it didn’t ‘quite’ hit the mark for me and I fear any future one wouldn’t either. Love their lenses however and I know they read Sigma posts on EOSHD because it’s how they contacted me to ask if I’d like to try one (an FP-L) and any lenses. One of the better companies that seems to care about their customers. Unlike some I could mention beginning with C…

20+ years, 750+ weddings, you come across 'everything' ranging from 'normal' to bizarre. I could write a book. And maybe one day I will...

They didn’t take it out. They smashed it out with a single mighty blow of The Cripple Hammer.

Actually, though I have had a few (but not many) I have had more groomzillas…and they are a sight to witness in all their ‘glory’ 😉

I have long suspected the latter two don’t really care and are just cheerleaders…

OK, I'll give it a go, but my smallest ILC is my S5, which kind of feels like cheating, so I'll go ZV1 and explore the creative opportunities it has there in some form or other. I've got an idea...

I hear ya, but also, as has been the case for a lot of us, we have had an extremely unproductive last 2 years. I don't want to go on about it (too much), but speaking for myself, just 10% of my normal workload. On top of that, some jobs just don't allow for the same opportunities as some others and from the 6 (out of what should have been 60) jobs I have had in these last 2 years, pretty much all of them were compromised in one way or another. I have expanded my video portfolio by just one job in now what is 2.5 years (ie, only a single one I have felt was anything better than anything from 2019) and ditto my photography portfolio. I'd normally expect to finish any year with maybe 12 of each I could be proud of, so these last couple of years should have moved my personal game/portfolio on with 48 finished jobs, not just 2. The net result of that has been deep, almost indescribable creative frustration. Also speaking personally, I don't have any photo or video interests outside of my paid work, ie, my paid work IS my interest. Believe me, I have tried some 'creative projects' of my own over the last couple of years, but to be honest, each one is like pulling teeth and does not inspire. I'm a wedding hack and have been for 20 years. There are other things I could do with photo and video, but again (without making excuses), the last 2 years in one sense would have allowed the time, but the means and sheer ability to do so, were removed by the circumstances. On another note...and this goes for forums, YouTube channels, any social media and that is anything gear related, funny stuff, general mass appeal stuff, will always massively overshadow anything far more meaningful. There is something utterly wrong with that, but at the same time, it just is what it is. I rarely show my work other than from a marketing perspective to prospective future punters. Why? Two reasons I have established over the years and these are: 1: Outside of peddling my wares to my very specific niche market, no one gives a shit other than; me, my clients, my wife and my mother. 2: I've never sought the limelight or the stage. I'll participate in something I'm interested in participating in, but beyond, I don't give a shit whether anyone values my work or opinion. I really don't. I will go and at least look at the Lightweight thread 😜 or whatever it's called and see if it's something I could participate in...

forum /ˈfɔːrəm/ noun A meeting or medium where ideas and views on a particular issue can be exchanged. "we hope these pages act as a forum for debate" Forums always have and always will be full of diverse people. We have a community of professionals and non-professionals and all have different requirements, opinions and tastes. The moment any forum (or other platform) gets super-controlled to the point where it is unnecessarily over-modded or the 'Topic Police' come along to give you a ticking off for even going slightly off topic, I lose interest. Most topics veer off at some point. (Guilty) Every gear topic gets compared with other gear. (Guilty) Folks are always speculating about what's coming next. (Guilty) That's just how it is.

Oh yes, much prefer the VA style screen than the ZV1 ‘selfie’.

I think they would probably be pretty comparable? The ZV1 doesn't have a viewfinder of course, but I found that with my ageing eyes, I couldn't really use the V version I had viewfinder anyway. I use the back of the screen pretty much all the time these days on all cameras, photo or video, - it's just more convenient switching between video and stills, tripods, monopods, gimbals, handheld...

I've lost 4kg/8.5lbs since Jan 1st. Does that count?

No IBIS no bueno. Absolute number 1 deal-breaker for me. If I can't handhold it near rock steady 90% of the day, it's a fail. But otherwise I would agree in principal that if anyone wanted to really know if a bit of expensive kit suited them, to rent it first. If possible. Unfortunately very such opportunities exist in France other than a couple of the big cities. And I don't live anywhere near them. I don't vlog. I don't use anything wider than a 35mm. No wobbles in my world 😜 But don't get me wrong, I don't dislike the R5C. It will be a really great option for a specific market. I'm just not that market due to the specific spec of this particular bit of kit.

I don't know if anyone else has seen it, but presume some have and that is the series VOIR on Netflix. OK, it's not uber-high brow viewing but more an upmarket piece of fluff, but I'm enjoying it. The tag line is 'for the love of cinema' (or something along those lines). I just watched I think Episode 4 the other day which was a piece about cinema vs TV. All pretty obvious really...but at the same time, sometimes you need something really shoving in your face for it to click. The difference between the TV shows and the movie versions was HUGE. The TV show that span off into the movie Heat. The Crown 'TV' series vs the movie about HRH, The Queen. The production levels of some of the series on Netflix or Prime etc is in growing proportion, insane. Visually stunning. Which reminds me of that little S1H sci fi short film, admittedly shot with gazillion dollar lenses, but it's 'Hollywood' level visuals. Budget budget budget, I know. Manpower. Lighting. Yada yada, - the camera is almost the least important component these days. Maybe has been for some time...

I wouldn't kick a pair of R5's out of bed other than... The cost of flipping to a totally new system...and I'd still need a 3rd body but my biggest concern would be trading less than brilliant AF for less than brilliant heat management. Which is the lesser of the two evils, some occasional but rare OOF footage vs 10K+ after trade in and cameras that could potentially shut down on a typical mid/high 30 degree day I shoot in? Plus the companies shenanigans. It isn't an absolute deal-breaker for me, but irks me... If this kind of thing was a deal-breaker, I wouldn't use Apple products, Adobe software or Amazon, so sometimes we choose to put up with less than stellar business practices. Canon would and could be on my list, but doesn't/can't top it. Yep, S1R on most recent firmware and purchased 'as new' for 1500 euros. S1H is underrated as a photo camera but excellent. In fact, of the 3, the R the H and the S5, it's my preferred body. By quite some margin. There are small but fundamental significant differences which means it beats the S1R and destroys the S5. In my opinion. An S2H would be 'The Dream'. Identical body to the S1H please (though if it was 10% smaller and 10% lighter, I would not complain), had: PDAF or massively updated DFD that was reliable for tracking AF. Up the megapickles to at least a Sony equiv 33 but do not exceed 50. FF 4k 60 and 120. Internal VND. If I could live without one thing, it would be the internal VND. The second would be the megapixel count capped at 24 still. Take my money now Panasonic. End game camera for me also. Well at least 4-5 year camera anyway... I can dream... Right now and for all of this year, I can't and won't change a thing in my kit line up. It will have more than earned it's keep by the end of the year and only over the Winter will I even consider changing the system which as things stand would be: 1: A next gen L Mount system for the most minimal transition (ie, could retain lenses etc). 2: A complete flip back to Fuji if the above did not exist but the XH2 ticks enough boxes. 3: Nikon Z9 based system or if it's filtered down, Z6/7iii option 4: Canon or Sony 5: Sony or Canon 6: Career change

I was having this same/similar conversation with a camera student doing some basic tuition yesterday. 2/3rds sensor bridge camera with built in zoom wondering why "even at f18 the pics weren't sharp?!" There are limitations to everything and providing you understand what those limitations are.. I noticed an 'aesthetic difference' switching from 16mp Olympus 4/3rd sensor to 24mp Fuji XH1 1080 to 26mp Fuji XT3 4k and the again moving to Panny S5/S1H 4k full frame. But what is this 'aesthetic difference'? Hard to put in words isn't it and we all have different tastes... Plus it's not just the camera, but the lens, any filters, your technique, the settings, the software used for productions, your own personal grading, the calibration of your monitor, the upload resolution, the quality of their viewing device. The variables are enormous but the one thing I don't think anyone can argue against is that the bigger the sensor/film stock used, with lens choice and other factors being more or less 'equal', there is a fairly distinctive difference in look. I'm drawn ever more to the larger sensor look. There's just 'something' about it that appeals to me.

All. The. Time. "Hey kids, this week we are comparing Camera A with Camera B and Camera A will have a fast wide prime lens (because that's all I could get my hands on) and Camera B has a kit zoom lens (because that's all I could get my hands on). So guys, let's go out and shoot! My back wall! And my cat!" I suppose in one way, 'real world tests' are of folks back walls and cats as that's all they seem to shoot. Maybe there's a market for this kind of thing...

No, they will perform exactly the same , - the variable is with different sensors not with the filter. A crap filter will always be a crap filter no matter how good the sensor is. It's no different to putting cheap Chinese remould tires (filters) on your Porsche (camera body) with it's 5k worth of upgraded alloys (lenses). The ONLY outcome is less performance/handling/braking, - nothing but negatives except in one single regard, - you paid less money for your cheap tires/filters. And let me just clarify something about the Gobe filters... I said they were 'the best' of the cheap filters I tried but 'the best' doesn't = good. They were OK at most. A bit more colour shift than I'd ideally like and with the VND's, especially at the stronger end. Would I use them now? Nope. Would I recommend them? Nope. But as with most things, there does tend to be a compromise and that compromise is often quality vs cost. I've gone somewhere down the middle with the Freewells because in my opinion, they are more than good enough for my needs and though not cheap at about 100 Dollars/Pounds/Euros, are a good investment for my needs. Try a Gobe by all means, but maybe from somewhere like Amazon with a returns policy and if it's good enough for your needs, then great. But if not, you can return it and get something better?

I've tried all kind of different set ups and in the end it came down to having: Nisi 1/8th mists on all my video designated lens of which I have 3, plus 2x Freewell VND (2-5 stop) slightly over-sized so step up rings on the mist filters so the VND's can be screwed on or off as required. I went screw on instead of magnetic in the end as I use the VND's all day long until we hit dusk/the point when they are no longer required/ISO is getting pushed higher. Mists all the time for consistency whether in daylight or after dark, indoors or out...because they do just take that digital edge off 4k footage. On my stills camera, no filters ever, but considering maybe getting a CPL again for some landscape work... I have also played with a system of 'how it would work if I used my cameras in a true hybrid style', ie, flipped all day long between stills and video with the same cameras. For that system, I'd use primes instead of a mix of primes (video) and fast zooms (stills) and use the flip up Tilta system with Freewell VND's with built in mist. So I'd just flip up the Tilta/VND when shooting stills and flip it back down when in video mood. Not much of a faff at all but it does look a bit rubbish having what looks like an over-sized gunsight on the end of your lens when in photo mode!

OK, probably worth doing anyway as they sometimes have side benefits such as being quieter they don’t mention.

My spider sense tells me that both are going to be announced ‘soon’ for late Spring/Summer launch?

For me, the ‘best’ lower budget ND’s have come from Gobe. The ‘best’ medium budget ND’s from Freewell. I have zero experience of high end filters. I use Freewell VND (2-5) with my FF system and as has been mentioned above, camera/lens brand has nothing much to do with it.

The other thing about crap YouTubers, is they make the good one’s look even better. It’s all about balance in the end. And opinions. But the only opinion that really accounts is yours, to yourself, after you have personally tried something.