MrSMW

I don't think it's a case of ONLY. Biased towards the tools for sure as they are at the centre of what we do. But otherwise, I agree with you and would like to see more 'craft' talk in principle. I think it's also about how people use this place... Is it a resource for info? Is it a sounding board? Is it an industry water cooler during your break? For some it's one of the above. For others it's all. For me personally it's the latter, the 'water cooler'. I don't come here looking for advice or info, but am happy to provide it if I feel even a single person might benefit. Am I going to start threads about craft or technique? Probably not as I rarely start topics on anything, - more a participant than an orchestrator. Any reason why? Not much really other than there's generally more info from a platform such as YouTube and any research I do is so narrow, it would be of little to no interest here. As a topic in it's own right. I think sometimes we over-think things or wish things to be things that they simply are not. Plus stuff evolves, - social media, YouTube, forums... I just take it what for it is, get my use out of it and at the same time, hopefully put something back...

As the popular saying goes, “Amateurs focus on the tools, professionals work on the business and masters seek the light”. It is largely true, but unless we are complete snobs, at all levels, we’re still interested in the tools. Most anyway… I think this philosophy is misunderstood as in you don’t simply move from one of the above groups to the next, but move through one phase and accumulate another. The reality is though that most cannot move beyond the ‘tools’ aspect which is the same in all industry and craft whilst those with sufficient talent (and often drive) will naturally add the other elements as they progress. But ain’t nothing wrong with ‘masters’ discussing their tools 😉 The other thing about discussing tools/kit/cameras is that it’s more ‘fact’ based than subjective so easier to discuss such as 50mp vs 24mp or “maxes out at 6400 iso whilst X can go to 25600” and “camera B has shutter angle whereas camera A does not”. It’s easier to ‘discuss’ than say the positioning and type of lighting in certain scenarios. More tangible as it were. I’m personally interested in the kit, but only to a point. I’m not a big tech fan or one for change but at the same time appreciate the right tool for a job will make your life/work easier. And often, more enjoyable. I’m much more interested in the ‘how’.

There’s a place for anything. Most things anyway… The herd though just look to their idols and then replicate it (or try to). Look at Peter McKinnon, undoubtedly responsible for influencing thousands of ‘wannabe like Pete’ clones. Some are quite good, but most are trash. It’s that, “if I just do what he/she is doing, then I will be successful”, lack of any original thought that disappoints me with these folks. The blatant rip off lack of any originality. But they rarely if ever are. Not unless they take that thing and elevate it. It happened with a photographer I know. He was very well known in the industry and because he put himself out there for seminars and workshops etc, he grew a cult following and as good as he was…for his time, others came along who did it even better. The craft and the marketing of themselves. The photographer has since drifted into obscurity because he couldn’t cope with no longer not being top dog, tried to reinvent himself and I think just tried too hard in the wrong direction. No names because I don’t do that. But Peter M just keeps on going because he keeps reinventing himself without moving too far from his oeuvre. He’s the only one of that bunch I can stand actually and love or loathe him, he’s a pioneer. Re. the old stuff reviews, there’s a fella called GXAce and he is off the wall nuts with his Bladerunneresque channel with exceptional productions not just visually, but in all areas. For a YouTube channel. It’s that Seth Godin ‘Purple Cow’ philosophy, whether by accident or design, ie, being original (and ideally authentic) within a field of everyone else not looking like you, but all like each other. There’s a guy Mark Holtze who used to do it with lenses, but he’s gone off the boil recently. Maybe (other) work commitments I don’t know… I discovered a South African guy about 2 weeks back called Jacques Crafford and although he uses modern gear, Sony, his channel is mostly ‘how to’ stuff with minimal fluff and doesn’t appear to be selling anything. There’s no, “use this light because it’s the best”…until the next ‘best’ light comes along. And then the next one. Or filter, or lens, or strap, ie, kit plays a part because of course it does, but it’s more about the process than the tools. It’s not like he’s even selling courses so why spend what must be a huge amount of time and effort on giving this stuff away? I don’t know but guess some people are just genuine and authentic so because he can? Vu Nugyun is another one. Sony ‘fanboy’ but along with his hilarious politically incorrect alter ego, does not follow the herd, speaks his mind and isn’t really into the whole sponsorship thing. The one thing they all have in common is they are not simply clones but as above, whether by accident or design, unique in their own space and that is something I have always subscribed to and strived for in my own space. There’s nothing wrong with having folks whose work you aspire to but unless you are actually more talented than them, lift parts for sure, but copying wholesale just doesn’t work.

Yep, curate your feed as they say. There is a lot of noise on all platforms but some great stuff also. I’m not really into the ‘echo chamber’ reviews or rehashed content (never mind the clone background lighting styling and phrases used) but what they are peddling is probably closer to what I do over how they shot The Batman. Just is. It does annoy me a little how ‘forgotten’ the latest and greatest is after just a short period of time. The GH5ii and the BGH1 make for great filmmaking kit.

Yes, but have they shot weddings?

Personally anything external as in I prefer (and only use) internal in order to keep my set up as small and light as possible. Juggling multiple bodies, for me it needs to be thus.

For sure. If I had the necessary magic beans, I would flip to a Z9 + Z8 combo without hesitation because for my needs, it’s the only 2 body / 3 lens combo currently available that ticks all my boxes. I think though that by this time next year, L Mount will have a viable alternative. Until then, I’ll soldier on with my 3 body / 4 lens set up… Yep, but storage is cheap and I would personally only use 8k at specific times, ie, when I wanted/needed stills and video out of a single body at the same time, which is something I would need with a 2 body set up. One day we will look back at pathetic 8k and laugh about how inferior it is to 64k with 30 stops of DR 🫣

I haven't either in my S1H nor my S5ii and the S5ii this year has sat out in 30 degrees C (in the shade) in direct sunlight for 30+ minutes.

I agree with this sentiment entirely 😉

Actually I will elaborate on just how long it has taken me, but as briefly as possible… I was shooting Fuji hybrid up to 2019, but that system did not quite have the set up it offers today. I had big (creative) plans for 2020, but Covid reduced my booked weddings from 30 to just 1. I then took the opportunity to switch to Lumix and the S5. With hindsight, that was a sideways step. It was all supposed to then happen with the 2021 season but again, Covid did for it with what ended up as 5/30 and another frustrating year. 2022? So swamped with work it was an exercise to simply keep my head above water. No complaints about having work but there’s having work and bouncing off burn out and that is no good for creativity. 2023? OK start but the first few jobs I found I was still wrestling with the gear, despite thinking I had cracked it over the Winter. Paper plans and all that… I then cracked my own personal formula needs and again, with hindsight, it seemed so obvious but that’s how it goes sometimes. I’m currently waiting on one tiny piece of kit I can easily live without but otherwise I have finally been able to flip that creativity switch I wanted to turn on 3+ years ago. We get there in the end… The S5ii has been a large part of the puzzle.

It’s been my biggest source of frustration for some time now recognizing that the tools were getting in the way…but at the same time recognizing that unless I got that part of the puzzle sorted, I could not fully focus on other aspects. It’s taken a while and far too much faffing about, but I have finally sorted it out to my satisfaction. And that’s what we all need to do, ie, do what works for each of us as individuals because often what works for one, does not work for another!

Does NOT = SONY ?

This for me and this only. It has to be quantifiable. I just traded 2x (used) S1R’s plus 65mm and 24-105mm lenses, for another (used) S5ii and a (used) 70-200 f4 because it will both make my actual shoot workflow better and improve my end output. Ie, less kit to carry (2 bodies + 2 lenses swapped for 1 body + 1 lens) and fumble about with, but extends my focal range from what was capped at 105 up to 200. Less fumbling about = both less fatigue and more focus which = greater creativity which = more/better material to then work with…which should lead to an elevated level of output that will increase my own job satisfaction plus attract an ever higher quality of client with ever higher budgets. It all boils down to making decisions that either have a high probability of, or even better, a guarantee of making ‘everything’ work better for you. But if it ain’t broke… and in your case @Geoffrey it sounds like it ain’t broke.

Fuji as a brand and their marketing is a bit of a weird one for me right now. They used to be something of an underdog, industry whipping boy to many, but now they seem to have a similar user set to that of Sony. I’m not criticising Sony (or Fuji) as such, but they do seem to have a more vocal and younger user demographic of brand hoppers… The X100V phenomenon for one thing, whether Fuji have had a direct hand in that or not I don’t know, but it puts me off as although I think the camera is great, it’s become this over-priced cult worship piece of jewellery. And they both had a cull and recently lost so many of their brand ambassadors who had done so much for the brand. But in the latter case, in some cases, because they refused to be shills. I know one of them personally… But same as with Sony, just because their current ‘brand’ isn’t really to my liking, would not stop me using their product, but it’s not really my cuppa…

That’s exactly how I saw it and actually considered it a few weeks back in looking at valid L Mount alternatives… A7RV stills and B cam video FX3 A cam video ZVE1 C cam mainly gimbal At the same time, there is nothing wrong with folks using any piece of kit in ways it was not originally intended. I often have in the past such as shooting weddings (stills) with just an original X100 or video with the Sony RX100v. Yep, the latter overheated numerous times but there are workarounds and had I been serious about it, could have bounced between multiple units. I had an idea once to use just GoPros and use that adapter whose name I cannot remember, to mount lenses and have this dinky fun little set up. People can do what they like and why not? OK building a pro set up around something like the ZVE1 would not be the greatest option, but otherwise if you fancy it, go for it. Same as buying a Leica. We all know that really, Panasonic is better and 1/2 the price 😉

Oh yes, forgot about the SSD... 🤪 And what it came down to in the end for me was I only wanted the S5iix over the standard 5ii for personal aesthetic reasons, otherwise it doesn't offer a me a single thing I want or need. I'd add a Q3 into that numberbet soup. And surely, an X2D100C should be added into that mix? Not for it's video capabilities of course, because it has precisely zero, but just because it is an image making beast. But I am honestly honestly honestly happy with my body and lens line up now. It took some sorting out along with shooting modes and all manner of factors, but I have the whole kit and caboodle now nailed down from shooting through edit to delivery. Until anything future L Mount appears in the wild whether it be Lumix, Leica or Sigma... But even then, it will need to be something pretty special as there is currently nada on my shopping list in terms of needs or requirements. Well, except for I'd still like Sigma to make me a constant aperture f2.8 50-150mm or even just a Contemporary version of the 70-200mm f2.8. Otherwise spent up and done for '23!

Exactly. The only real difference other than one being blacked up, is that one can record all-I and the other has a paid upgrade to record braw externally. I personally think they missed a trick with the x but at the same time, suspect it was deliberate as their are S2 models coming some time ‘soon’…

It's really good. Despite being in a PAL region, I've switched over to shooting 6k 30p and 4k 60p and my second S5ii paired with the 16-28 is set to shoot exclusively 4k 60p so will be that 24-42mm equivalent. Which is great as the '24' for me, is for dancing stuff and the '42' is for everything else which = entrances, exits, gimbal couple stuff. So I only think of it as being a 24 or a 42. The other two cameras and lenses are set up as 6k 30p exclusively, so their respective lenses to me, photo or video, are what they are supposed to be, ie, 28, 70 and 200. I don't shoot anything in between, just the extreme ends of any/all zooms, ie, single lens, but 'twin prime' set up.

It’s a great little lens. I have just ‘retired’ mine from use on my S5ii due to a body and lens re-jig. I’m still going to be using it, but shifting it over to my Leica TL2 which is my personal and back up (pro use) camera. The only thing it lacks for Fuji use, is built in OIS compared with the 18-55, but counters with being constant f2.8 rather than f2.8-4 which I’m not a fan of, ie, variable apertures.

In other news, after cancelling my pair of S5iix preorders, I made a final (honest guv) decision re. final 2023 line up…and just ordered another (used) vanilla S5ii. So cracked my 3 camera, no lens change matrix: S5ii + Sigma 16-28 f2.8 S5ii + Sigma 28-70 f2.8 S1H + Lumix 70-200 f4 Happy with that. And getting my black Sharpie out tomorrow 😬

Surely I will be crying “FNAC FNAC FNAC!” which is fluent French for “fuck fuck fuckedy fuck!” ? When it comes to camera stuff in big city France anyway…

Yes, already researching that place… For this particular job, I could do it all with the contents of my backpack so the bit of kit not shown, is the missus’s electric fat bike. It weighs about 35kg / 75lbs, but folds in half and fits nicely in the back of the van. I could then either Uber in and out each day or ‘pedal’. It’s mental how effortless it is to ride and even as a pretty fit guy, I have zero chance against her on either of my pedal only power bikes! 19 euros each way by Uber and the client is happy to pick up the tab. Rich Americans 😉

I think the only reason someone might choose the none X version is they could get a used one for 500 less than a brand spanking new X. Also, if you bought one a few months back and now fancied the upgrade, you might pay that 200. Or you don’t like the all black look..and some do not. The X for me doesn’t have a single thing over the vanilla ii that I need so it would purely be for aesthetic reasons!

Yep, tried the magnetic ones a while back and just nope. They are too prone to getting knocked off unnoticed!

Adapted to Nikon Z8/9, hmmmm…