MrSMW

Well at this point in time, a single S5 body, the 20-60 and the 85mm. I am going to order the ZV1, probably today so I can get familiar (ooh err missus) with it. But that’s it until Spring ‘21 because I have to balance ‘play time’ ahead of the next wedding season with the fact there still may not be a next wedding season. The intent as things stand is either 3x S5 bodies, or 2x S5 bodies + an S1, the ZV1, the 20-60, 35mm f1.8, 85mm f1.8 and then either keep the free Sigma 45mm f2.8 (if it ever turns up) or go with the 50mm f1.8. Bottom line is: 1x body with zoom, static manual focus longer form video on tripod, but doubles as a wide angle prime when not filming ceremony or speeches. 2x bodies with primes for hybrid use all day long, handheld as I am liking the IBIS enough to warrant not using sticks. 1x compact for entrances/exits/walking shots, on freestanding monopod, plus doubles as second angle/backup filming for ceremony & speeches. It is the most compact and least flawed/compromised kit I can come up with for my specific one man band hybrid wedding needs. For commercial, just the pair of S5’s with the primes. For landscape/hiking, single S5 with the kit lens, plus the 70-300 that is due at some point. This is photo only use. Personal/travel that is not work, the ZV1. Good to hear you are enjoying the Fuji. It’s where I would go (gone back to) right now if I had not been able to make the above work, but I would have switched to XT4 for the IBIS and improved battery life.

Thanks @Mark Romero 2 I saw that video recently when researching Panasonic AF. Otherwise made up my mind and it's ZV1. The A6000 range is creeping up in size for the body (over the dinky ZV1) and then again with the lens...and then ends up being either large fast zooms or small prime choices...and we're back into building a kit again. It might be the right choice for some needs but it's not the right one for me. As above, it's the sensor I have been using for static capture anyway plus used an RX100 V to capture clips and produce a 5+ minute highlight reel. My need is less than both of the above and though in an ideal world I'd have 4k 60p and a full frame sensor, but there has to be compromise somewhere and this 5% requirement is where it's going to be. Time to get back to the S5! It did very well in DPReviews recent test, - best for stills and video and had it not been for the AF... They scored it third for ergos but I think they said splitting hairs in that regard. Send my Sigma 56mm f1.4 back today. Lovely lens in many regards, but doesn't stand up the Panasonic 85mm f1.8 which IMO is night and day better...which bodes well for the rest of the f1.8's whenever they get announced. Still toying with the idea of an S1 for the static stuff as used prices are quite decent, but we'll see...

@BTM_Pix thanks 👍

Just revisiting this thread because I have a question... Right now, it's the leading contender for me for a very specific use case. Well 2x specific use cases actually. Case 01: 1080p @ 100fps slow mo. Is there a max recording time on this and does it record as 25fps for output? Case 02: 4k @ 25fps backup for ceremonies & speeches at weddings. Does anyone here have this camera or know for sure the answer to Case 01? I've had and used the RX100 V and shot an entire wedding on it, albeit just 'highlights capture' and production, so know that model well enough. Right up to this Summer, I have been shooting all my long form static ceremonies and speeches on a camera with the same sensor but slower aperture, so again, I know it's limitations etc. I know I can record unlimited (until either the card fills up, it does actually overheat, or all power runs dry) using a powerbank but I can't find info re. the slow mo 100/120fps mode. I don't care about even slower modes, only this one. I am hoping the answer is at least 10 seconds (of actual real time capture time) but hoping it's longer! Cheers.

Accurate AF is critical in this particular instance. Sony is the answer as things stand and it’s just a question of which A6000 series or whether the ZV1 suits my needs best. I am attracted to one of the A6000’s purely because they are APSC. Every other consideration, ZV1. The only other option that might interest me would be one of the Fujis and am looking at that today.

No, sold all my Fuji gear. A6400 looks like a good option. Only slightly more but APSC which is what I am shooting with the S5’s anyway. I’ll check it out and thanks for the heads up!

Actually, this is something I tried last year but didn't enjoy the experience of the Pocket so switched to the Action which I much preferred. However, I made the assumption (doh) that the Action had a 'narrow' mode same as the GoPro. It doesn't so I sold it to someone on here actually. But otherwise yes, it's the kind of thing I am looking to achieve in principal except in my case it will be the same, principal and back up for all 'entrances, exits and walking stuff' as in the Sony ZV1 (as I'm pretty sure it's going to be), will be on my freestanding monopod in front of me whilst I flick between stills and video clips with a pair of S5's handheld and if the S5's lose focus (on the video side) the Sony footage gets used, but if they don't, I'll use the S5 material. Then I will extend it's role to second angle most of the ceremony as in keep it rolling for the duration as either a backup I can worst case scenario (if the principal camera had an issue) make a decent ceremony highlights, or as now intended, simply another angle. My only other issue with the Pocket was I found the whole thing a bit delicate. You can chuck a GoPro in your bag etc but have to be so much more careful with a Pocket and that's something I was aware of and wish to avoid. Just tested the S5 again before I push any button on a ZV1 and nah, still won't. Admittedly, I am trying in the worst conditions which are backlit with dappled light leaves causing a distraction and then pure 100% full on sun backlight and then 90 degrees to sun lighting. Because these are the conditions I mostly have to work with on a wedding day and any piece of kit needs to handle 'real world' use and not conservative testing. The 20-60 failed every time. Not a single sequence would it keep focus. The 85mm did much better and only occasionally lost focus, but still not reliable enough. Fairly static stuff, even backlit, all pretty good and no complaints for either lens, but the 85mm is better. I have a theory and could be wrong but it's shooting wide open, because the background is so OOF with the 85, the subject has more contrast. Well it doesn't, - it has the same contrast, but the background just has much less than with the f3.5-5.6 kit lens. Plus there's more compression with the 85 so even less contrast. But unless anybody has a magic pill or another firmware update at some point can fix this (and I doubt it until such time as Panny goes phase), I need to go to another solution. I think it's a good one and instead of 4x S5's, it's simply a case of 3x S5's + ZV1 for limited but specific use and extending it's useage as a backup/second angle ceremony camera plus will make a good personal/genuine pocket camera. Only other option I'm considering is the RX100 VA. I had a IV a few years back so have experience with these cameras and actually shot an entire 3 day hybrid capture project in the Faeroe Islands with a single unit, so know it's capabilities. Price is more or less the same and whole lot cheaper than a 4th S5 with a lens! I think I'm now sorted in principal.

I brain-stormed it, slept on it overnight and now have a couple of options... First of all, I have also read quite a few reports about how great the AF is now and in certain circumstances, it is actually quite good. But not with a subject moving forwards or backwards. It just isn’t and anyone who says otherwise is smoking something. But that aside, alternatives because as things stand, it doesn’t work for me and it’s never going to become reliable enough, so... Option 01 = Sony ZV1 on freestanding monopod purely for entrances, exits, confetti etc. As above, I’m taking maybe 10 x 10 seconds captures per job. The eye AF is reported to be excellent and it’s much cheaper and more compact/lightweight than using a MILC. Option 02 = a GoPro mounted on the hotshoe of each hybrid use S5. Simply capture any scene flicking between stills and video with the 85mm on one body and the same with the 35mm on the other, plus simply activate either (or both) GoPros set to narrow, for those 10x10 situations. Both are relatively low cost options when you consider the lifespan of useage is targeted at 3 years or 75 jobs. The GoPro option could be quite good as it simply targets whatever I am shooting in terms of stills or video at any given time, but at the same time, it is a pair of GoPros stuck on top of cameras which I’m not so keen on for a number of reasons. I think the little Sony is the best option and has more flexibility as a camera.

It’s what ‘they’ call ‘progress’. I used to like me a good trade show and went to Focus a few times. It’s just the way things are going however.

Right folks, all out of ideas. Freestanding monopod, 20-60mm and repeated attempts at 20mm, 35mm and 60mm. 4k 50p which is supposed to be best. Natural profile, Every combination of speed and sensitivity from the extremes to opposites and everything in between. Repeated to death. Human tracking, human and animal tracking, normal tracking... I can't get one single continually in focus shot of a human subject walking towards the camera, eyeballing the camera. It shows it's locked on but when the face is blurry and the trees 30 feet behind are going in and out of focus...well we have a problem and I need a solution. Unless anyone can show me another way, I cannot use this camera for one of it's intended purposes. For everything else it passes and passes with flying colours, but for up to 10 critical sequences of about 10 seconds each, it doesn't work. As soon as the subject is still, it's FUCKING BRILLIANT. Well, at least pretty good and good enough. But if they move forwards or backwards, game over. So I have a couple of options including: Option A: Use something else for this specific type of capture and that could even be a decent short tele compact with phase detect (assuming such things exist?). Ideally needs to be something that I can match up to Panasonic Natural profile and so could be log (again if any compacts shoot log?). Option B: Go for something with a larger sensor but without busting the bank (ie, no, a Sony A7Siii is not a great idea for 100 seconds per job of capture!) but what might match up nicely to Panasonic profile footage? Option C. Go even more extreme and swap out the dedicated static video unit and the filming unit for an entirely different system that could be anything that shoots 4k 50p internally and preferably in 10 bit. Fuji, Canon, Sony new boy are all I can think of that have good or great AF. Option D. Keep just the single S5 I have currently and the kit lens and keep this as the dedicated video unit. Do something completely different for hybrid. It would need to be; XT4's, latest Canon twins, combo of the two most recent Sony's. Ideally I JUST WANT THE S5 TO WORK and for 95% of everything, it does but I cannot ignore this 5% that does not. Any/all ideas welcome! Because I am all out of them. In regard to the S5 and this single specific issue anyway...

I am a Fuji refugee and have form... I have been shooting Fuji for stills since the original X100 came out and video for the last 3 years. With the XT3 especially, my workhorse of 2019 and what there was of 2020, with the Fringer adapter and Sigma 18-35mm f1.8, it barely skipped a beat. Yes, it lost focus a few times, but actually those times were very well rare and there was not a single instance of anything critical. And since then, the Fringer Pro II came out and has had a firmware upgrade and of course the XT3 has been upgraded with firmware to XT4 spec very recently. I would be very confident in it. Probably it’s not quite Sony or Canon good, but not far off. But I don’t wish to go in that direction and may have come up with a solution... Originally, I was investing in the L Mount system for a number of reasons that had enough advantages over Fuji to warrant the change. I was going to use the units in a hybrid manner. Then hands on experience made me revert back to dedicated video units and dedicated stills units. I’m ping ponging back to hybrid today! 2 reasons... Reason 1: It seems that native glass is the best way to go for the best AF. Fair enough and it also seems that the zooms are better than the primes. Reason 2: The IBIS is better than I thought it would be. So today, I am going to do a comprehensive AF test with the 20-60mm and the 85mm back to back. Based on experience so far, I think the 20-60 will win and hopefully prove to be good enough for my needs. If so, I intend to get a used 24-105mm f4 for the longer range and constant aperture, stick it on the monopod and it will become and remain my ‘movement’ video unit, ie, entrances, exits, confetti etc which make up less than 5 minutes of a typical 9-15 hour wedding, but CRITICAL 5 minutes. That will then mean 2 other units with primes, can shoot both all stills and static video as in the rest of the day when say people are chatting, getting married etc, but no one is walking about. The 4th unit will have the kit lens for pure static longer form duty on the tripod. It’s also a 4 body/4 lens combo rather than the 4 body/7 lens combo I was going with previously. It all hinges on the walking test this afternoon...

Ah...well as I have not received my Sigma, maybe they will send me another 85?!

I tried again before sunset. The Pan 85 has a really nice ‘clean’ look both on the LCD and downloaded on the desktop. However, AF was not great subject moving forwards and a return to background pulsing. Arrrgh! I had turned up the sensitivity and had it in AFC. I will try again tomorrow in AFS and play with the settings. The Sigma I tested back to back. It does not compare. Focus was dreadful and it did not look nearly as nice on the back of the screen or after being downloaded. That one is going back for sure. So tomorrow I will give the new 85 one last chance. It has to pass this AF test or the entire system just won’t work for me. For static, manually focused, locked off video, great. For stills, really good, but I need at least decent AF for ‘filming’. I feel a return to Fuji is on the cards... Pair of XT4’s for video/filming + a pair of S5’s for stills has been a Plan B ‘just in case’.

Ha, no! They are not giving away Pan 85mm f1.8’s!

Panasonic 85mm f1.8 has turned up. First impressions, it's light, compact and well built. Second impression is that the AF seems marginally better than the kit lens that was 'OK' and much (MUCH) better than the Sigma 56mm f1.4 In fact, I am cancelling my order for the Sigma 16mm and 30mm f1.4's and probably returning the 56mm f1.4 I'm going to do some more thorough tests tomorrow but it seems that it's true that the L Mount Alliance may share a lens mount, but they don't all share their protocols as much as they might. I don't need ultra-amazing AF, but there are times when I need it to work and it 'seems' at least, that Panasonic glass with Panasonic bodies is the way to go. So back to my original plan and will await the announcement of the Panasonic 24, 35 and 50mm f1.8's and work with that set instead. Maybe even 1 less body as I am actually quite impressed with the IBIS and it's only a total of less than 10 minutes I actually need a monopod for dual photo/video at the same time and that will save me the cost of one full body. But the new 85 is looking good. But then I thought the Sigma 56 was...but I have done a little more testing before opening my gob this time 😉

I think it’s going to potentially get interesting when the full lineup of f1.8’s are available; the 24, 35, 50 and 85, the latter of which is now shipping. Hopefully by the weekend for me and then I will know more. A few have reported MUCH improved AF after the firmware upgrade, but they may be smoking something... I really need to experience it to believe it as I’m pretty sure it’s marginal at best.

Nope, but as above, for photography AF, I doubt there would be much in it though the S5 is probably a little slower, but as accurate as CDAF tends to work that way. My own experience of the S5 is just that, it's not lightning fast, but it is accurate. Sports or any fast moving subjects is not really any CDAF lenses forte. Video AF is another matter and the Sony will slay the Panasonic, roast it and eat it for lunch. Every time. I'm running tests right now between the 2 lenses I have and that is the Pan kit lens and it's 'OK' and the Sigma 56mm f1.4 and that one is so far terrible. In fact, using myself as a subject (as no one else is home), 5 times out of 5 attempts, it remains locked on the background and will not pick me up in any mode or at any distance. Not once. Switching to the Pan kit lens in the same lighting and the same settings, it will, but not instantaneously. I had more success yesterday (with the Sigma) when I could lock on the subject before pressing the record button, but it still wasn't great. Summary so far is that with native it's OK, with anything else, even from within the L Mount Alliance, it's iffy and I imagine with an adaptor and a Canon lens, ha ha ha ha good luck with that. I have the Pan 85mm f1.8 arriving shortly so looking forward to seeing if that is a bit more tuned for video AF... New firmware may make a difference. I am downloading that one as I type. They do sometimes sneak something in there rather than admit there is any kind of issue and there is supposed to be something in that regard for shooting log, but we'll see...

65mm f2 is an odd one! On an APSC or in crop mode though, makes it a 100mm which is more interesting! I’m pretty fixed now with what I am doing but I will be keeping an eye on this and anything else because as much as I wish to be ‘done’ and that’s it for the next 3 working years, if there is a better and viable alternative, it’s at least worth considering. Mostly I am looking forward to lockdown easing in the New Year and getting on with the commercial and personal projects that are beginning to stack up.

Update. Just spent the last hour testing the 56mm f1.4 and mixed results... AF tracking first. Using 4k 50p and a tweaked version of the Natural profile, it sucks balls. Hey ho, not my intended use for it anyway. It's fine when the subject is standing still but say moving head, chatting etc, but walking forwards, nah. In and out of focus the whole time, but actually more accurate the further away the subject when using face tracking. I was shooting wide open the whole time as I'm only going to test how I'm intending to use and face is actually pretty decent up to around 10 or so feet, but any closer, it loses it and won't pick up again. I have sensitivity on -2 and tracking on -3 ie, max lock. Can you trust S5 AF? Nope, not for anything moving towards you anyway. But it's not all bad news... The separation at f1.4 is great and something I am looking for and the IBIS is actually really good. Without resorting to electronic, it's close to tripod. Not quite, no IBIS can be 100% rock steady but it's pretty close and I am really picky about such things. The 56 is intended as an indoor lens however, on a monopod and for the kind of use I intend, the AF is much better when there is no distracting background such as tree branches and sunlight causing potential distractions and I did my tests in this regard direct into the sun also so the worst possible combo. Indoors, it remained pretty well locked on though I think I'm probably just going to use manual focus all the time unless it's an entrance or an exit or confetti or similar in which case I'll be using the kit lens at f5.6 which is a bit more forgiving on focus anyway. No background pulsing. Absolutely zero. I believe this is because: A: I'm not using wide angle lenses and B: When using a very shallow DOF, there is less background contrast. C. Have the sensitivity on -2. In other news, I've just received notification that the Pan 85mm f1.8 is now in stock with my dealer and on it's way to me and should be here by the weekend. That will be the real one for me to test as it's intended to be my prime workhorse and cover 75-80% of the day and by several accounts, an actual native as in Pan lens on Pan body should have better AF. A recent test by a guy called Pav in the UK showed that back to back, the Sigma 85mm f1.4 was MUCH better than the Pan 85mm f1.8 for stills AF, but for video, the Sigma was a bit rubbish and the Pan was really good. That's OK, that's my intended use for both these lenses. There are some strange quirks with the L Mount system for sure!

Picture below of the ‘indoor’ combo of: S5 + Smallrig L bracket + Sigma 56mm f1.4 + variable ND that rotates with the unbranded metal hood, on el cheapo ball head thing (purely for straight horizon) and freestanding Sirui monopod. As above, for dancing (only time I need a wide angle), Sigma 16mm f1.4 instead. Most of my time is outdoors however and for that the Panasonic 85mm f1.8 will be used like a ‘130mm’ FOV.

I tried one single outdoor tracking sequence from around 50 feet away (face tracking mode) and it locked on body immediately, went to face as the subject got nearer and then eye at about 10 feet. Pre new firmware, if that is going to make any difference... Locks and tracks nicely indoors. I will give it a proper run this afternoon with one of my unwilling subjects but it’s looking good. Will I use it for stills? No, but only because I moved from Fuji to the L Mount system for a reason and that is so I could continue to shoot S35 video and full frame stills in one system. Will I shoot any APSC stills at all? Yes actually, but not with any of the Sigma APSC lenses and I will be getting all 3 as part of a single camera/3 lens dedicated video set up. I made a final decision on my stills lenses late last night after wrestling over every possible combination and came to the following conclusion and that is neither the f2.8’s or the big/heavy f1.4’s (such as the Sigma 105) are going to work for me. Instead, I am going to weld a Sigma 35mm f1.4 to one body and the new Sigma 85mm f1.4 to another, but when I need to (ceremonies and speeches) flick to crop mode to get a ‘130mm’ in camera crop. I need small and light and fast and portable as possible and for my needs, I have cracked it now. Final line up: Static video = S5 + Sigma 30mm f1.4 + tripod + power bank. This unit for ceremony & speeches only otherwise 20-60mm kit lens goes on and unit lives in my belt as my wide angle stills lens. Filming = S5 + Sigma 16mm f1.4 (dancing), Sigma 56mm f1.4 (indoor) and Pan 85mm f1.8 (outdoor) giving me 4K 50p focal lengths equivalent to: 24, 84 and 127.5mm. This unit lives on the freestanding monopod. Stills = pair of S5’s mated to the Sigma 35mm f1.4 and Sigma 85mm f1.4 which can be extended in crop mode to 127.5mm. I also have the super-wide 20mm focal width of the first unit all day except ceremony & speeches when I don’t need it anyway. 4 bodies + 7 lenses and it’s all still one backpack and one small camera bag with the monopod in hand, including my tiny folding carbon tripod, light stand, lighting, audio and drone. Phew. A lot harder than I thought but I remain convinced there is no better system for my needs right now than the combination of L Mount Sigma glass with S5 bodies.

I don’t wish to see them go. Quite the opposite as I started my career with Nikon and after a gap of nearly 10 years, would have gone back to them. But others meet my needs better than they do so whilst I may be only one single nail, all the individual nails add up... Speaking from a camera perspective which is my only interest in the Nikon company.

I personally am getting a little tired of drone and it’s a PITA on a wedding day, but it’s the one thing folks ask before booking, “do you have a drone?”. As for the rest of it, I don’t do it anyway, partly out of stylistic choices and partly because as a one man hybrid band, only so much technique I can manage anyway! In other news, my Sigma 56mm f1.4 turned up today. What a little beauty. Small but chunky, a nice weight to it but still light. It reminds me in some ways of the Canon ef 50mm f1.8 I used to use in 2018 as my primary lens. Not used it yet, but I think I am going to love it and that’s one more item checked off. This is one of the beauties of starting a new system from scratch, - everything is new. Currently weighing up the dilemma of: A: Sigma 45mm f2.8 (free lens) with Sigma 105mm f2.8 plus 1.4 teleconverter for when I need something longer. This is the cheaper, lighter but slower option for stills using 2x S5 bodies, vs B: Sigma 35mm plus 85mm plus 105mm, all fast low light f1.4 beasts, but it’s an expensive option compared to option A and the 105 is an utter beast of a lens at over 1.5kg, but arguably one of the finest portraiture lenses available. 3 lenses with 2x S5 bodies swapping out the 85 as an indoor lens and the 105 as my outdoor. I am currently leaning towards option A based on; price, size & weight.

I don’t need one of these types of cameras, but if I did, it would be the Volvo...I mean Canon C70 without question. Otherwise I like the modular concept, starting with something the size of the Sigma FP and built out to individual needs.

Just popping down the rabbit hole of eBay used TL2’s. I shall probably be some time...