MrSMW

Take a good look at both the Lumix S5ii and the Nikon Zf then. The latter at first appearance may appear to be a retro inspired ‘stills’ camera, but is actually an excellent low light, AF, performer. I’m still on the fence myself whether to: A: even bother with a Z8 or Z9 to pair it with and just get a second Zf, or, B: even move lock stock and barrel over to Nikon for video also. If I was not already heavily invested in L Mount, the question would be clearer and the answer would almost certainly be yes, but… For 2024 at least, it’s more a financial consideration and I will run both systems side by side. For your requirements though Daniel, the Zf paired with the 24-120mm f4 could be an excellent option? Or, S5ii with the 24-105mm f4 as I think this slightly longer focal range is more what you are used to and prefer over something like a 24-70?

Lumix S5ii + Sigma 28-70mm f2.8 is a solid all-rounder with great stills capability and possibly the best video chops at this price point. Nikon Zf + adapted Tamron 28-75mm f2.8 G2 is a slightly quirky, left field choice with arguably even better AF, IBIS and photo quality over the Lumix, but with a few less ultimate video options. Fuji XH2/S + 16-55mm f2.8 keeps you within your familiar brand, improves on ‘everything’ compared with what you have except possibly ultimate output (but honestly, who would notice) but arguably, the full-frame options are slightly ahead in areas such as AF and outright capability. I’d be happy with any of them and for me it comes down to the final detail and how my entire kit works as a whole for the specific needs and wants I personally have. On that basis, for 2024, I am shooting L Mount for video and Nikon for stills, but if you took it all away and dumped a Fuji based system into my hands, it would work equally ‘real world’ just as well.

Northern France has been trash for about 2 months 😠

Not enough light sabres or use of The Force for you? 😉

Big fan of the Amaran 60X lights which are only a couple of hundred each. Plug into the mains or run off a portable 500kwh power bank or a pair of Sony batteries for a totally cable-less off-grid set up. In my cart for weddings, I have a pair, 2 lightstands, 2 optional softboxes, 40m extension cable and powerbank and it’s been a fantastic set up all year. I did have the Sony batteries but had them stolen along with another light at a wedding in Sep. Narrowed it down to the DJ, but can’t prove it… But definitely one of my purchases of the year and unless I break them or they are stolen, I can’t see why they won’t last out my career.

Sony RX100V ? I had one and it was pretty fantastic. Tiny, genuinely pocketable and my only real issue was overheating for how I used it which is for MUCH longer takes than you Kye. Same issue with the ZV1, brilliant little thing but needed cooling…which it probably could today with the Tilta stick on jobbie. Part of me really wants to go uber-small with my gear, but I think for my needs and taking budget (the huge losses in trading) into consideration, it’s a non-starter. Just knocking off 1kg is a big plus for me for 2024 but that is still a body and lens combo about 5+ times heavier than any of yours 🤪

Finally just saw it myself today. Had to watch on my 16” MacBook because…well that is a long and boring story, so I won’t bother with that, but really enjoyed it. Big fan of Bladerunner (both), Dune, Rogue One, ie, well done sci fi and this can be added to that list. It could have been a bit longer actually, but the opposite of Rebel Moon which we saw the other day and didn’t think was complete trash, but fairly poor. I’m tempted to trade in my S1H and S5ii for a pair of FX3’s but somehow, I don’t think it will be enough, so sticking with them.

Awful in my line of work as any change/changes mid scene is near impossible to overcome in post. Just a headache. But otherwise yes, fixed WB of ‘5500’ works nicely and is my go to (not 5600) as it’s the recommendation for the conversion LUT I use. I also meant 4500 indoors not 4000, so 4500 and 5500 are my two programmed default options.

Pretty sure it will be Zf spec except for different body and bigger second card slot than the Micro SD. Not expecting anything more. FF 4K 60p would have been nice but there are going to be restrictions compared with the Z8 for sure.

Agree…unless shooting street and with smaller primes such as the 26/28/40 lenses. The grip makes a difference. Still waiting for my Tamron 70-180 as there is a chance, albeit slight, I get a second ZF because other than the side hinge screen, it’s a ‘perfect’ camera for me.

Being a hybrid wedding/event shooter, I don’t have the time to be setting WB every single scene so it’s 5600 outdoor and 4000 in and adjust in post if needs be. Otherwise indeed trying to get as much SOOC internally as possible. Works for me. I shoot log these days/this last year, but no issues with shooting a flat profile and do so for all low light/after dark stuff.

If it’s basically a ‘DSLR’ version of my Zf, I might just save the bucks and go for one over a Z9…which I am favouring over the Z8. Z7iii just seems too close to Z8 if we are are looking at similar mp sensor size difference as per the previous 2 models so maybe they will go something much larger, otherwise don’t see where it fits in really? Tried to have a play with a Z9 today on one of my rare forays into a city but no joy, didn’t have one. Also depends on availability because unless I can actually buy one by end of March max, it’s default Z9 for me...which is no bad thing because it will allow me to run L Mount for video and Z for stills all year and then make a decision whether to continue with that or trade 2 L Mount units for another single Z and use what will then be 3x Z units all as full hybrid. I really don’t mind either way as there are pros and cons for either option so either way it’s a win.

My parents still believe Great Britain has colonies and rules the world…

I hear you brother Django. It’s the same in my camp, - attempting to weigh up the pros & cons so as not to make a decision I will later regret. Done that too many times previously and determined not to again. If I can help it. Hopefully getting into a real bricks & mortar camera shop next week for a final handling/ergo check, but the Z9 makes the most sense to me. Fortunately I am not ‘stuck’ between brands, - it’s simply the more compact Z8 vs the combined additional attributes of the Z9. Close now…

Where exactly do you live in the World where it’s 2024 already? Must be one of those remote Pacific islands? 🤔

Yep, sounds like me 😜

This is the principal element that stops me going all in on Nikon. I'm not especially interested in grading etc and have a capture & edit workflow I am very happy with with Lumix. So why change that? I quite probably will not, for 2024 at least, but if I do, it would probably be for the Flat profile because I could work with that. It's just one component of the greater puzzle for me personally.

I meant new Blazar anamorphics…but apparently not.

The add on grip is an option…for some users I guess. Personally I think it’s hideous and I would never use it. I did use an add on grip to my S1H to balance the Leica 24-90 as that lens is a beast and still do actually for the 70-200 f4. So necessity rather than ‘choice’ but I much prefer an integrated grip. Personally (professionally) I have no need to ever add on or take away a grip so it’s a case of I need one 100% of the time, or 100% not at all. I don’t like even changing lenses, so the thought of changing the handling characteristics of any set up so significantly, fills me with loathing.

Indeed. Before the Z8 came out, there could be a bunch of Z9 buyers who bought it for it’s spec and compromised on the size/weight for their needs, who then later wished or exchanged for the Z8, but today, with both on the table, it should be more straightforward to make the right decision for ‘you’. I am at that stage now where I have cleared my backlog of work for this year and am now twiddling my thumbs and contemplating my naval. I have a trip to the UK a week today and then Christmas and then it’s into the new year which is also a new financial year. I also have some plans for some personal projects Jan-March just so I am not totally bored to tears so have made a pretty firm decision that unless I see any sign of an imminent (available by end of March latest) Z6iii, I am going to pick up a Z9 at the start of ‘24. The pros just outweigh the cons for me and though I still prefer the Canon R3 body (the only real competitor at this time for the Z9 in terms of being a gripped mirrorless body) the combo of body + lens has tipped things now in favour of Nikon + Tamron at the ‘Dream’ level, never mind the reality level, because the Canon route is not financially viable anyway 😜 The above is a pretty easy decision to now make, but if that Z6iii does show signs of appearing within my timescale, the Z8 comes back into play as a possibility as it would not be having to do quite the heavy lifting that the Z9 would. But having said that, still probably Z9 for all the previously mentioned reasons; platform, portrait orientation, battery life, cards, yada yada. Actually, no yada yada, those are the reasons!

Looks like one of the new Sirui anamorphics?

It’s not really an Achilles Heel though but rather a better (the Z9) platform for the larger zoom lenses it is designed for as this is their ‘Pro Sports’ camera. No one has to buy this (or any other) camera but for those that do and then later say, “it’s too large, it’s too heavy”, perhaps should not have purchased it on the first place. But for it’s target market, you want/need that lens platform and that is what this type of body is. Would I rather have the same FF sensor capability in a M4/3 chassis and lens sizes? Sure, so would anybody in their right mind, but it does not exist. It comes down to compromise as most things do ie, where do you make your compromise? The principle one for me would be weighing up ergos including size and weight vs performance/capability/need sensor-wise. With that choice to make, I personally will compromise on the physical side of this equation. Personally though, I have taken a middle route and that has been lens based within the FF sensor capability and building a system around just 2 lenses that cover all my needs; 20-40mm and 70-180mm. The latter choice is the key one for me in that it gives me all the real world range I need for my job, but on the smallest and lightest FF option currently in existence, the Tamron 70-180mm f2.8 The body, well still to decide on that but probably the Z9, sacrificing some weight and size benefits over the Z8, for all the other stuff it brings to the table for me. Personal choices based on my specific needs.

Why would anyone replace a Z9 earlier than a Z8? I would rather have a smaller & lighter camera if it was possible, but it’s a case of weighing up the pros & cons, ie, ‘The Compromises’. The Z9 edges it for my needs though I could make the Z8 work. It depends on your use case/needs/preferences and for some, the Z8 will fit better and for others the Z9, but I’m not sure why you think anyone who makes the Z9 choice would replace it sooner than a Z8 if they made the right choice in the first place?

That is the plan and why I have switched to Nikon for stills at least; the Zf with the 40mm f2 being the 'candid' camera and then something more substantial, Z8 or 9 for everything else; longer, wider, portrait format, higher res, etc... Oh I agree. It's Z6 sensor but with Z8/9 'brain' in it, though some seem to think they held back on the last bit of AF performance, but whether that is speculation or fact, I have no idea. My S5ii is good, but the Zf is definitely better. And a much nicer stills camera to me. Which is the whole point. I haven't, but then I am not planning on using Nikon for video at this time...unless that Z6iii comes out by March and then providing it meets my spec, overheating being on my check list, it would become my principal video unit and the Zf and either the Z8/9 would switch from being dedicated stills units to hybrid use. Only one of my cameras needs to run for any length of time. Both S1H and S5ii have never had a problem, 1+ hour, in direct sunlight, at 40 degrees celsius. Could the Z8 manage that? I doubt it... Which is why I 'secretly' hope Nikon does not produce a Z6iii, or it's later than March 2024, or they stuff it up somehow, because then I can stick with L Mount for video, because it needs to be bloody good to be as good as, never mind better than my current S1H/S5ii pairing.

Probably… Back in the day, rangefinders for film photography were the thing. To some they still are, but perhaps these days in a digital format such as the Leica M8/9/10/11, Q2/3 and the rangefinderesque Fuji X Pro-1/2/3 and X100 line. In recent years, they have become video capable, often to the same level as their mirrorless ‘SLR’ style siblings, but are they the best tool for the job? Probably not but will either work in a pinch or can be made to work… I’ve had a string of the Fuji X cameras from the Pro1 to the Pro2 and all of the X100 cameras except the the V, ie, all of them except their most recent incarnations which are the most video capable. I personally would not choose any of them for video work regardless of capability because unless rigged out, they don’t work very well ergonomically for video compared with their siblings, ie, I’d take an XH2 over an X100V as a video tool every time. For stills though, either with a built in pancake or interchangeable compact lens system such as the X Pro line or the Nikon Zf, they are nice to use. For stills, in my career, the two cameras I have enjoyed the most have been the X Pro1 and X Pro2, the second version fixing the somewhat tardy AF issues of the first version. I never went to the 3 because though I would have welcomed a tilt screen, the one they went for was not for me. So the Zf is a return to that style of shooting (stills) for me and with a fixed lens approach as another…and perhaps my favourite ever stills camera, was the original X100. The 35mm focal length was/is pretty good, but 40 is better still. 12mp back in the day was OK, but 24/25 is far better. And it has excellent AF and all round operating speed including start up from cold. And then there is fantastic class leading IBIS and almost the same level of video capability as my S5ii. Almost because it doesn’t allow for 6k shooting though technically could. But would it make a decent or even good video camera? Actually yes, for my needs at least and this is something I will be exploring in 2024. In standard format, it’s ergonomically shit for holding out in front of you style video, but the Smallrig grip improves things considerably. I don’t think it’s the kind of body to be using bigger zooms or longer lenses on, but I will be interested to see how it handles with my (adapted) Tamron 70-180mm when it turns up, but again, more from a stills perspective. But as a pure video camera? Probably not. For one thing, it doesn’t really offer anything you’d want to shoot externally so whilst you could add a cage, handle, monitor etc, why would you? That would possibly be a case of forcing a tool to work better for you than it otherwise might, but more suited tools exist in the first place. But compared with the Z6ii, it’s moved the game on in the AF and IBIS department so it sits between it and the Z8. Kind of. At least capability-wise, though not ergonomically. I’m looking forward to using mine more. I never saw it coming but when it was announced ‘out of the blue’, knew instantly it would be a good fit for me. There’s quite a bit of hype, both positive and negative, around it right now, but that kind of thing doesn’t influence me, - it either works for me or does not and for me, it’s the 2023/2024 version of the Fuji X100 I always wanted. Criticisms so far… Only one and that is I would rather it had a tilt screen than a flip out but understand why they probably went this route, - to try and please 2 markets. Market 1 being the casual video shooter/content creator and Market 2 being ‘The Photographer’ who can turn and close the screen and use the viewfinder only and never use the video function. It’s not for everyone, but it is for me. Which topic is this again? Z8 I think… 🤔😉 Still sitting on my fence over that one… It depends on if Nikon pop out a Z6iii any time soon and how that 70-180 works on my Smallrig gripped Zf, but otherwise leaning back towards the Z9 for the following reasons in no specific order: A. It’s arguably more ‘pro’. B. It’s undeniably ergonomically better and a better larger lens platform. C. Better cooling. D. Longer battery life. E. Twin CF Express card slots. The negative is it costs more than the Z8, is heavier and less discrete, but these compromises do not outweigh the sum total of A-E for me.