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MrSMW

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Everything posted by MrSMW

  1. I am neither a pessimist nor an optimist but a realist and I’m with @Avenger 2.0 on this. 95% of my business is the destination weddings market, specifically non-French having a wedding in France. I still have on paper 18 weddings booked to do this year from June through October with 10 having already postponed or cancelled outright. But whilst there is some optimism for the UK being back open from July onward, albeit probably with some caution and regs, the EU and France are just lagging. Lagging so much that the current figures suggest 70% vaccinated by the END of Summer. They are also talking about some EU travel green card and whether they would invite the UK to that party remains to be seen. Realistically, I think we are going to lose the Summer for work/travel purposes, so anyone in the wedding industry is probably facing a pretty bleak year again. Of my 18 remaining clients, I am near 100% sure the 3x June dates will go. My July’s are already steadily shifting. From then on they seem to be mostly holding on as long as possible as the majority were already refugees from 2020 and they just do not want to move again. The bottom line that I get from most of my clients is that if it was down to them and they could/can find a way, it will happen...but at the same time when their guests say they won’t be coming, that’s where the issue lies and the determining factor causing most to jump. Meanwhile ‘22 is going pretty berserk for bookings which is something at least...
  2. 2-5 years old is now ‘old’. 5-10 years ‘antique’. 10+ years ‘collectible’.
  3. I’m still very tempted to get an S1H as my more video-centric hybrid over my S5 that I would move to being my more photo-centric hybrid. But then I have been offered by a friend pro photographer a mint, 1 job, S1R for 1600 euros. The Leica SL2 is my ‘dream’ camera in every single regard except lack of a tilt screen. A used but like new S1R at 1600 euros is like a 1/3rd cost SL2 isn’t it and I should snap his hand off? The S5 firmware was a bit disappointing I have to say, limited to some function to switch off vertical orientation in video mode or something, but then I wasn’t really expecting anything.
  4. Was this prior to the firmware upgrade that brought the AF up to the level of the S5?
  5. I'm surprised about that. S5 or other S1? I have zero experience of anything DFD other than the S5 but for stills, it's just nailed it every time for me. Yes, there's the odd miss if someone really runs at you and zig zags, but that's not a requirement for me. I've only shot around 500-1000 frames on it and I think it...or I, missed focus maybe twice. A far higher hit rate than my old Fuji XT3 that was no slouch. But then I saw one test a few months ago from a Polish (I think) guy in the UK called Pav and he back to back tested the Panasonic 85mm f1.8 against the Sigma 85mm f1.4 (the new one). In his test, the Sigma was better than the Panasonic for stills, but the situation was reversed for video!
  6. That's the main thing I have been testing this morning despite it being less than 5% of my needs on any job. The short answer is as 'good'...or as bad as any native Panasonic lens. That is actually a result in my book as the two previous Sigma lenses I have tried with the S5 have been less than stellar. I'm actually looking at the Sigma 65mm f2 being my main video lens with this 28-70 being more for stills, but it will pull video duty also on every job, just maybe 20-25% overall. I've tried it in both stills and video. Nice bokeh/out of focus rendering, stills and vid. Stills with the S5 are a given. AF just is not even a thought, - it just works. Fairly static subject video such as people chatting, bride having makeup put on, a couple canoodling etc, is pretty 'good' using AF & face tracking. As always with the S5 and anything Panasonic S flavoured, it's really only with forward (and backwards) motion it can become unfocused! As with every/any bit of kit, I will never be 100% confident in it until I have shot it at multiple weddings, the ultimate real world test for any bit of kit! To conclude, for my use case, so far it's a big thumbs up.
  7. I haven’t got that far with it yet... My bread & butter is sunny outdoor weddings. Yesterday it really clouded up but it’s in harsh and direct sunlight I need a camera and lens combo to work in all regards. It’s my ‘yay or nay’ test as it were and if it works in those conditions, everything else is a given. Having said that, I have bought this lens for hybrid work but more towards the stills side...but then it could be my video go to in 4K 50p in APSC crop mode equivalent of 42-105mm (suits me perfectly as 50-100 is my ideal focal length for my work) paired with the 24-105mm f4 shooting purely FF stills on another body. I like my stills & video to having matching focal lengths for most of what I produce! I’m not sure whether I like F4 for stills however...but DOF equivalent to my old Fuji XT3 and 16-55mm f2.8 so...
  8. It's finally arrived. First impressions, - I really like it, - the size and weight. On my S5 with Smallrig baseplate, it's a moderate weight (a good thing as in not too light) but compact set up and when I think back to my old DSLR Nikon D3S with 24-70mm f2.8... it's a huge amount smaller and lighter and far more capable for stills, never mind video. 1/8th mist going on and then I'll be putting it's through it's paces soon enough. I can't at this stage see the 24-105mm f4 being here for much longer...
  9. My Panasonic 24-105mm f4 is a bit 'clinical'. It's not uber-sharp, but pretty sharp and a bit too 'videoy' in my opinion. I'm not a fan of zooms anyway. Says the chap who recently bought this lens and ordered a Sigma 28-70mm f2.8 I have some more testing to do, but I believe the 1/8th mist will be my friend in this regard. Also, the Sigma 65mm f2 I am looking at as a prime workhorse is supposed to be sharp, yet have characterful rendering, especially in the OOF areas. I've seen some fantastic results with it using a 1/8th mist so it bodes well... Ultimately I'd rather have something more sharp than less sharp as it can always be reduced in post whereas if the lens is soft as baby poo in the first place...
  10. 1 minute of searching: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fujifilm-X-E1-Fuji-Mirrorless-Camera-Body-Only-1080p-Fuji-Charger-Battery/303917242724?hash=item46c2e11964:g:RT8AAOSweFlgSn8e
  11. Then Fuji GFX100S would be my pick without question.
  12. So DP Review finally got around to reviewing the S5... I was beginning to think they were shunning it or something. 88% and a pretty fair/accurate review. Not that DP is the be all and end all of anything and most of their photography results galleries are a bit shite, but... New firmware coming next week apparently. I wonder if it will have anything significant in it or just be one of those, ‘bug fixes in the incidence of X’ updates... I can’t see it being anything major but who knows.
  13. Focus breathing is a lens issue not a sensor one.
  14. Oh yes, it's rubbish for that! But how high res do you need to go for that kind of thing? Maybe higher than 24mp for your needs, I don't know but you can print a billboard poster with a 12mp camera.
  15. This is where the hi res mode in Lumix cameras is your friend and one of the reasons I went S5. 4k 50p. Check. It’s APSC crop though? Great...for me, my preferred focal range is between 50-100mm FF so ideal. 24mp stills which are more than enough for social/event work. Check, I don’t need or want 50mp+. What about a hike into the mountains or a commercial shoot where I want/need a hi res shot for ultimate detail? Flick of a switch (and a tripod) and there is a 96mp raw file pretty much on par with the medium format Fuji. But the MF Fuji can’t do 24mp stills or 4K 50p so as a pony, does less tricks. I’m in the compact, do as much as possible, in one single as cost-effective package as possible camp. I know I risk sounding like a Panny fanboy, but I’m commending the tool not the brand. I’ve said it before and will say it again and that is IMO, pound for pound, other than the less than stellar AF for video tracking, this little beast is hard to beat at anything.
  16. Yes I am aware it’s a theme issue and it is a bought and paid for theme...and it’s no el cheapo one either, PLUS I paid extra for support which was a cost option. It’s flippant/dismissive 1 line responses to very succinct, clear and polite questions that irritate me.
  17. And this is my concern. For all of us. Obviously that you personally remain well Marcio, but whilst the UK may be getting on top of it due to the vaccine and the EU when it gets it's arse into gear should follow suit, plus the US, Canada, Australia, Japan etc, there is a concern that unless the entire world is vaccinated and ASAP, as in this year, then this thing could mutate and return in a new form that the vaccine is useless against. And then off we all go again. And I don't think we could do it again any time soon... It's just one big fucking nightmare, but the scale of it in the UK, EU, US etc is nothing like somewhere like Brazil. Your government need taking out and shooting. Can I say that on a forum or does it trigger some kind of alert in Langley? Eek.
  18. There is a little bit of that in me also. I will reward someone for a job well done just as much as I will walk away from someone/something that is taking the piss. I used Fuji for nearly a decade despite it falling short in many areas, because there was 'enough' for my needs and I also felt a certain brand loyalty because as camera companies go, they are one of the best. I haven't felt that with Panasonic. The tool does the job I want it to do, but their customer service in both the UK and EU has been, "we don't give a fuck". That has not endeared them to me. The deliberate and artificial over-heating shenanigans of Canon meant that despite their tool possibly being a very high contender for my needs, as a company they can go and do one. Just this morning, I had an issue with the particular theme of my Wordpress site. I'm not an especially (OK, not very at all) techy person and I needed some help from the theme developer. All I got back all morning was abrupt single line, condescending and somewhat cryptic, " we don't give a fuck" responses and they haven't even bothered to answer my last question. All of which just confirms that they can fuck off and my next site later this year will be Squarespace because it is actually ideal for technical fuckwits like me who just want to add content and that's all. For every one of us that votes with our feet and wallets, there are 9 others who will not however, either because they can't be bothered, or have not yet experienced the negatives. All I know is it comes back to one thing and that is if I ran my small business like 90%+ how many others do, I'd be out of business. Or hate the process so much I'd have to shoot myself.
  19. But seriously, should the 150 include a lens or not? I'd say should as it will prevent anyone sticking a 5k Leica lens on a 150 body!
  20. I've just reduced the sale price of my S5 from 1500 down to 149.99 for 1 minute...and bought it off myself! Off out to shoot my project now. I'm not even going to use a lens as the deal didn't come with one.
  21. So the next ‘battle’ will be: Sony A1 vs Nikon D9 vs Canon R1? I’m not shopping for any of them but I think I’d be most interested in the Neek-ohn if I was. I do wonder if Panny will join the party with an S2H? If so, it better have PDAF or they may as well not bother.
  22. I’ve seen quite a few reviews now with some fairly mixed results. It seems that for Sony users (who are in the majority of maybe 10:1?) it’s a mixed bag. Something it seems (on the negative side) to do with the coding? However, it’s a different story in L Mount land where it seems universally loved. I should have received mine yesterday but it appears that despite stating on their website it was in stock, this was in fact not true and it’s ‘special order’. Ah well, I’d prefer to have it ASAP so I can test and confirm 100% it is right for my needs as I expect it to be, but next shoot not until the 20th so some time yet for it to hopefully arrive.
  23. Freewell 2-5 stop for non-log Freewell 6-9 stop for log
  24. For whatever reason, when I used Fuji (which was for quite a few years) it was indeed the zooms that work best for video. It’s mostly why we parted company, - virtually no native glass that suited my needs and I was adapting relatively large/heavy lenses. My full frame Panasonic set up is smaller and lighter than even native Fuji: XT3/4 + 16-55mm f2.8 vs Pan S5 + Sigma 28-70mm f2.8 Plus the latter has more range because if used in APSC mode (which it has to be for the 4K 50p I mostly shoot) then that Sigma (arrives today!) is more like a 42-105mm compared with Fuji’s 24-83mm, so can shoot between 28-105mm. Actually closer to 110mm if in pixel to pixel mode! The Fuji focuses better and does have nice film sims however 👌
  25. Can focus be 100% using AF? I'm assuming you are using AF or any kind of pulsing cannot exist? But otherwise yes, your Sony is simply trying to be the Panasonic that it isn't 🤣
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