MrSMW

Now that my 2023 season (weddings mainly) is drawing to a close; all shoots in the bag, just 4-5 jobs still to edit and finish up, I am thinking about next year.
I’m always thinking about ‘next year’ actually because one eye on the future and all that, but as is so often the case, thoughts and plans over the course of a season begin to stack up, the season ends and I’m exhausted/run out of enthusiasm to see all of those plans through.
Year on year.
But 2024 is going to be different…
First of all, I am not carrying the fatigue off 33 jobs as I was at the end of last year with a more controlled 21 from this and a strict cap of 15-20 going forward.
The two Covid years of ‘20/‘21 caused another kind of fatigue, a weariness due to lack of development, due to lack of work and funds; just 6 from what should have been 60 jobs over that period.
So after 4 very inconsistent years job-wise; 1+5+33+21 and some kit and work practices that I am less than enthused about, I am not only making, but will be sticking to some fairly fundamental changes that I will be putting in place over the Winter.
The first of these is volume of workload with 15 jobs as my minimum and perhaps ‘fully booked’ target but with the capacity to go as high as 20 depending on my level of interest. That is the point I have already hit actually…
The second is tightening up what or rather who, I take on. Most of my clients and jobs are exactly what I was looking for but could still be tighter, so turning up the screws in that dept. 
Third, revising my approach to capture, ie, kit. My lighting is nailed down as is my audio but cameras and lenses less so and I have been frustrated with all the combos I have been using since…well since forever actually. The hybrid nature of my work requires not only a specific skill set, but a specific set of tools. Fortunately, those do now exist with various brands so it has become a question of who and what rather than hoping the next gen will deliver. All of the current main players deliver, it’s just which will suit me best. (It’s a Nikon/Lumix mash up for me BTW going forward).
Fourth, workflow/edit. From the photo side of things, not unhappy and my only plans there are to refine a specific look over this Winter based on what will now be Nikon rather than Lumix files. On the video side, less than happy. Not unhappy, just not quite where I want things to be and whilst I could do an @kye and ‘learn colour grading you fool!’, it does not interest me enough beyond a point. I’m not even sure I’ll stick with log and may go back to shooting a profile because whilst it might not have the ultimate scope, there’s a lot more consistency (*for me*) with that approach. I love editing pics, but hate grading video! Possibly if I shot raw video, I’d enjoy it more and that is an option I am at least going to explore…
So in a nutshell:
1. Take on less work.
2. Tighten up who I work with.
3. Brand switch including more compact set up/less tools.
4. Revise/refine output.
5. (Bonus Ball) All of the above combined = greater enjoyment = greater job satisfaction = greater output = leads to more of the same.
How about you? What plans do you have? Any direction changes you might be making?

Now that my 2023 season (weddings mainly) is drawing to a close; all shoots in the bag, just 4-5 jobs still to edit and finish up, I am thinking about next year.
I’m always thinking about ‘next year’ actually because one eye on the future and all that, but as is so often the case, thoughts and plans over the course of a season begin to stack up, the season ends and I’m exhausted/run out of enthusiasm to see all of those plans through.
Year on year.
But 2024 is going to be different…
First of all, I am not carrying the fatigue off 33 jobs as I was at the end of last year with a more controlled 21 from this and a strict cap of 15-20 going forward.
The two Covid years of ‘20/‘21 caused another kind of fatigue, a weariness due to lack of development, due to lack of work and funds; just 6 from what should have been 60 jobs over that period.
So after 4 very inconsistent years job-wise; 1+5+33+21 and some kit and work practices that I am less than enthused about, I am not only making, but will be sticking to some fairly fundamental changes that I will be putting in place over the Winter.
The first of these is volume of workload with 15 jobs as my minimum and perhaps ‘fully booked’ target but with the capacity to go as high as 20 depending on my level of interest. That is the point I have already hit actually…
The second is tightening up what or rather who, I take on. Most of my clients and jobs are exactly what I was looking for but could still be tighter, so turning up the screws in that dept. 
Third, revising my approach to capture, ie, kit. My lighting is nailed down as is my audio but cameras and lenses less so and I have been frustrated with all the combos I have been using since…well since forever actually. The hybrid nature of my work requires not only a specific skill set, but a specific set of tools. Fortunately, those do now exist with various brands so it has become a question of who and what rather than hoping the next gen will deliver. All of the current main players deliver, it’s just which will suit me best. (It’s a Nikon/Lumix mash up for me BTW going forward).
Fourth, workflow/edit. From the photo side of things, not unhappy and my only plans there are to refine a specific look over this Winter based on what will now be Nikon rather than Lumix files. On the video side, less than happy. Not unhappy, just not quite where I want things to be and whilst I could do an @kye and ‘learn colour grading you fool!’, it does not interest me enough beyond a point. I’m not even sure I’ll stick with log and may go back to shooting a profile because whilst it might not have the ultimate scope, there’s a lot more consistency (*for me*) with that approach. I love editing pics, but hate grading video! Possibly if I shot raw video, I’d enjoy it more and that is an option I am at least going to explore…
So in a nutshell:
1. Take on less work.
2. Tighten up who I work with.
3. Brand switch including more compact set up/less tools.
4. Revise/refine output.
5. (Bonus Ball) All of the above combined = greater enjoyment = greater job satisfaction = greater output = leads to more of the same.
How about you? What plans do you have? Any direction changes you might be making?

and
this.
Assuming quality is of a sufficiently high enough level, it’s repeatable consistency with the least faff in both capture and post, that appeals to me most.
Log I find is great outdoors, but indoors is where it gets less so. For me. 
I’m going to do some proper ‘scientific’ trials over the Winter shooting and editing the exact same scenes as; a profile, log and raw, and then decide which one I will take forward into 2024 as my go to.
I’m expecting the profile approach to ‘win’, but will do the process for confirmation.
Photography is MUCH easier to the point where I sometimes wish I’d never gone down the video/hybrid route, but no viable alternative now.
Love photo + like video. I don’t think I will ever turn the video side into love no matter how much I try…
And that I suspect is part of the key to it going forward, - try less hard and spend less time on the side of things I like the least…

Now that my 2023 season (weddings mainly) is drawing to a close; all shoots in the bag, just 4-5 jobs still to edit and finish up, I am thinking about next year.
I’m always thinking about ‘next year’ actually because one eye on the future and all that, but as is so often the case, thoughts and plans over the course of a season begin to stack up, the season ends and I’m exhausted/run out of enthusiasm to see all of those plans through.
Year on year.
But 2024 is going to be different…
First of all, I am not carrying the fatigue off 33 jobs as I was at the end of last year with a more controlled 21 from this and a strict cap of 15-20 going forward.
The two Covid years of ‘20/‘21 caused another kind of fatigue, a weariness due to lack of development, due to lack of work and funds; just 6 from what should have been 60 jobs over that period.
So after 4 very inconsistent years job-wise; 1+5+33+21 and some kit and work practices that I am less than enthused about, I am not only making, but will be sticking to some fairly fundamental changes that I will be putting in place over the Winter.
The first of these is volume of workload with 15 jobs as my minimum and perhaps ‘fully booked’ target but with the capacity to go as high as 20 depending on my level of interest. That is the point I have already hit actually…
The second is tightening up what or rather who, I take on. Most of my clients and jobs are exactly what I was looking for but could still be tighter, so turning up the screws in that dept. 
Third, revising my approach to capture, ie, kit. My lighting is nailed down as is my audio but cameras and lenses less so and I have been frustrated with all the combos I have been using since…well since forever actually. The hybrid nature of my work requires not only a specific skill set, but a specific set of tools. Fortunately, those do now exist with various brands so it has become a question of who and what rather than hoping the next gen will deliver. All of the current main players deliver, it’s just which will suit me best. (It’s a Nikon/Lumix mash up for me BTW going forward).
Fourth, workflow/edit. From the photo side of things, not unhappy and my only plans there are to refine a specific look over this Winter based on what will now be Nikon rather than Lumix files. On the video side, less than happy. Not unhappy, just not quite where I want things to be and whilst I could do an @kye and ‘learn colour grading you fool!’, it does not interest me enough beyond a point. I’m not even sure I’ll stick with log and may go back to shooting a profile because whilst it might not have the ultimate scope, there’s a lot more consistency (*for me*) with that approach. I love editing pics, but hate grading video! Possibly if I shot raw video, I’d enjoy it more and that is an option I am at least going to explore…
So in a nutshell:
1. Take on less work.
2. Tighten up who I work with.
3. Brand switch including more compact set up/less tools.
4. Revise/refine output.
5. (Bonus Ball) All of the above combined = greater enjoyment = greater job satisfaction = greater output = leads to more of the same.
How about you? What plans do you have? Any direction changes you might be making?

Now that my 2023 season (weddings mainly) is drawing to a close; all shoots in the bag, just 4-5 jobs still to edit and finish up, I am thinking about next year.
I’m always thinking about ‘next year’ actually because one eye on the future and all that, but as is so often the case, thoughts and plans over the course of a season begin to stack up, the season ends and I’m exhausted/run out of enthusiasm to see all of those plans through.
Year on year.
But 2024 is going to be different…
First of all, I am not carrying the fatigue off 33 jobs as I was at the end of last year with a more controlled 21 from this and a strict cap of 15-20 going forward.
The two Covid years of ‘20/‘21 caused another kind of fatigue, a weariness due to lack of development, due to lack of work and funds; just 6 from what should have been 60 jobs over that period.
So after 4 very inconsistent years job-wise; 1+5+33+21 and some kit and work practices that I am less than enthused about, I am not only making, but will be sticking to some fairly fundamental changes that I will be putting in place over the Winter.
The first of these is volume of workload with 15 jobs as my minimum and perhaps ‘fully booked’ target but with the capacity to go as high as 20 depending on my level of interest. That is the point I have already hit actually…
The second is tightening up what or rather who, I take on. Most of my clients and jobs are exactly what I was looking for but could still be tighter, so turning up the screws in that dept. 
Third, revising my approach to capture, ie, kit. My lighting is nailed down as is my audio but cameras and lenses less so and I have been frustrated with all the combos I have been using since…well since forever actually. The hybrid nature of my work requires not only a specific skill set, but a specific set of tools. Fortunately, those do now exist with various brands so it has become a question of who and what rather than hoping the next gen will deliver. All of the current main players deliver, it’s just which will suit me best. (It’s a Nikon/Lumix mash up for me BTW going forward).
Fourth, workflow/edit. From the photo side of things, not unhappy and my only plans there are to refine a specific look over this Winter based on what will now be Nikon rather than Lumix files. On the video side, less than happy. Not unhappy, just not quite where I want things to be and whilst I could do an @kye and ‘learn colour grading you fool!’, it does not interest me enough beyond a point. I’m not even sure I’ll stick with log and may go back to shooting a profile because whilst it might not have the ultimate scope, there’s a lot more consistency (*for me*) with that approach. I love editing pics, but hate grading video! Possibly if I shot raw video, I’d enjoy it more and that is an option I am at least going to explore…
So in a nutshell:
1. Take on less work.
2. Tighten up who I work with.
3. Brand switch including more compact set up/less tools.
4. Revise/refine output.
5. (Bonus Ball) All of the above combined = greater enjoyment = greater job satisfaction = greater output = leads to more of the same.
How about you? What plans do you have? Any direction changes you might be making?

I follow Florian (Of Two Lands) and his stuff is always good but this latest one looks, to use the modern parlance, 🔥

I follow Florian (Of Two Lands) and his stuff is always good but this latest one looks, to use the modern parlance, 🔥

Same here and as someone who has had a lot of cameras over the years, that is a rare experience.
No DSLR did it for me. My various Nikons were just bulky blobby tools other than perhaps the D700, but at the time I was transitioning to mirrorless Fuji.
The first and most impactful camera that I really felt a connection with, I felt was ‘just right’ for me, was the original X100. I bought and sold 3 or 4 of those things, mostly because the reality was it couldn’t actually do what I needed it to do as a working tool.
The original X Pro1’s were equally frustrating as enjoyable playing off speed (crap) with image output (if you didn’t miss anything too fast paced).
The X Pro2’s had ‘it’, ‘it’ being not what I’d call soul, but character.
The XH1 had it for me and so did the XT3 but both were flawed for my needs, the former not having the video spec I wanted and the latter lacking IBIS.
Might any later and more recent Fuji have had ‘it’ for me?
Maybe… Came close with either XH2 or XH2s and maybe the XT5 as with any of these we have the spec I need to do my job, but too late on my case as I’d taken a punt on switching to L Mount starting with the S5.
And it’s been mixed…
I’ve gained in outright video quality output and marginally also in stills, both of which enhanced due to year on year experience both at the capture stage and in the edit, but something has been missing and that has been outright enjoyment.
The tools have equally aided me and at the same time, got in the way.
I can’t really fault the output, as in got there in the end, but the process to do so has been somewhat strained.
The original S5 was pretty much a step sideways from the XT3. Other than the lack of IBIS, I preferred the XT3.
I never had an S1 so cannot comment but nothing about it inspired me to ever try one.
The sensor in the S1R did inspire me. There was and is magic in that thing for both stills and video, but not quite the video spec I wanted at the time and I just could not get on with the ergos of the thing because…
…because S1H. After the X100, the next in line for the crown of ‘character’.
It’s impossible to point at any one single thing and say, “it’s because of that” 👉 because as is usually the case with these things, it’s the sum of it’s parts.
It’s only flaw for me…though it is not really a flaw as such, is I wish it was 10% smaller and 20% lighter which is about what the Leica pairing of SL2/SL-S are, albeit without any kind of tilting screen or I would have gone there 100%.
And the S5ii…? As already mentioned, a lot of hope, but less reality. A solid workhorse, but falling short in various areas, principally how it is to use in reality and the simple fact is, I just don’t enjoy it. It’s close, but no where near the cigar.
So I am going to try something now that on paper is in most regards, pretty much equal. Slightly better in some specs, equal in most, behind in others, but will almost certainly have that X Factor that is missing from the S5ii.
But I am not going to rush headlong into it burning all my Lumix bridges without confirming my beliefs, but do it in stages.
Mostly because I am sick to death of chasing something that is now attainable from any of the brands re. specs, re. my needs, so it’s a case of ensuring I now make choices that will tick the box of enjoyment at the same time and ‘enjoyment’ for me is the spirit of that original X100.
A small(ish), compact little box, most of the time with a single fixed focal length, albeit this time as fast as I need and with all the specs/ability I want.
I’m going back to my future.

Enjoy!

Enjoy!

Just wanted to conclude this thread. Thanks for those who championed the XS20 over the XT4. I think I will enjoy using it for the next few years to come. After about a day or two of minimal time to play and review some clips as well as setup, here are my initial thoughts.
Cons first. It has taken a bit of getting used to the lack of extra buttons and dials (more on that later). SD card is back to the prosumer style over the XT3 of being buried in the battery slot. Viewfinder while quality seems usable to me, I find the actual viewfinder a bit small but also no nice eye cup and I think using a 3rd party eye cup would also cut out functionality of the few extra function buttons that for some reason is right near the EVF.  I would prefer more navigational buttons over using combo of touch screen/single joystick, plus the actual menu/back buttons are physically small for someone with large hands. I need more testing but finally, I don’t like that when using my Fuji 2.8-4 kit lens, IBIS is automatically enabled when using OIS lenses. Now I’m going to assume based on what I’ve read it’s using a combination  and perhaps need to test turning off OIS and using ibis, but I wish you could turn this off and JUST use OIS. The camera doesn’t come with a traditional battery charger but rather a usb c cable and wall adapter. Since my camera came with a free second OEM Fuji battery, I’ve opted to purchase the Fuji two battery charger as well. Finally, apparently shooting H265 10 bit 4:2:2, I can’t figure out a way to make those files play in QuickTime on my MacBook Pro running Catalina. I’ve been using macs for the last 10+ years so I’m used to plugging in my SD card and space bar playing through the files. Was a small bummer I had to open resolve to play the files but maybe there is something I can do to fix?
Initial Pros: Some of this will contradict above, however I do love the smaller body size! The added grip fits like a glove, and I think allows more stabilization; even though I think the XT line looks better. While I miss the physical shutter speed/ISO and other functions, I’m finding so far I don’t really need them. Camera has built in ISO button and a Q button where I’ve expanded the full menu to just hit this Q button when I need to change almost anything involved in filming from frame rates, to Resolution to picture profiles to IBIS etc. Additionally, the touch screen has many useful areas from selecting items to even touch functions for turning off/on customizable things. This helps take away the above con  about lack of physical buttons I feel. 
 
So far in the way I use IBIS which is not vloggy whipnpan, or running following an actor, but rather just handheld slow static shots - it seems to work great. More testing is needed, but for tripod like shots, or slow movements like I prefer to use, looks good to me. 
 
Overall I think this was a worthy upgrade from my XT3 and I’m glad I sold it and bought this to get additional shooting options, possibility of FLOG2, and while certainly not the best, at least ability to use IBIS.

If you learn to colour grade then your images will be nicer than either of these by a very wide margin.
On camera forums it is standard practice to compare cameras using only the manufacturers LUT or some standard transform, which is a reasonable way to compare cameras, but when you go into the world of colourists and colour grading they will often break down colour grades step-by-step, and compared to the final graded image the standard 709 conversion looks like pallid anaemic garbage in comparison - even with Alexas and REDs.
Seriously, buy the camera and lenses and accessories that are most compatible with your workflow and then learn to colour grade.  Even if you only apply a film-emulation LUT and then adjust exposure, contrast, WB, saturation, and sharpening, you'll be creating images that absolutely smoke the standard conversions.

I can relate to that. @MrSMW After I purchased, drooled over, set up and used my newly acquired S1H I felt connected and have been enjoying this camera so much. My S1 will have to go. I never liked to used it. The gnarly swivel screen felt so uncomfortable to use with its sharp edges and unpleasant tactility. The S1H was love at first touch and the process of purchasin felt like love and exitement at first sight. Somehow the S1 felt hollow, though a heavy beast and rock solid. It is not hollow at all but that was just the feel I associated with it despite the reality of rough and heavy bulit. The hollowness could be described as lack of soul. My plastic fantastic G6 had soul injected and so does my S1H. Feels, like the menues are much more straigth forward that the ones from the S1. I don´t even want to bother to compare.
Handling is awesome. It is a joy to look at and it was so much fun to use it with a Canon 24-104 L zoom, which I choose for a little paid gig leaving the native 24-105 at home. Soul, silly thing with cameras and tools. 🙂

I went with the Carl Zeiss 40-80mm f3.5 for this very purpose.
I made a wedding film with it you can see here: https://firehorsephotographyfrance.com/2023-weddings/jenniedan
Day 01 and Day 02 anyway, ie, up to evening stuff on the wedding day. Not the drone obviously...
Quite a nice 'vintage' rendering without being 'too vintage', average contrast which gets very low if shooting into the sun/direct light sources and it flares quite a bit then also due to the lack of modern coatings. Has a bit of a glow to the result also.
I used it wide open at f3.5 exclusively and with the Fotodiox VND L-E Mount adapter plus a plate adapter that converted the lens to E Mount in the first place.
Tricky to stabilise handheld, even with Lumix which is regarded as one of there best so unless you wanted the more handheld look, on a gimbal, mono or tripod might work better.
I've decided the more vintage look is not for me so selling it if anyone EU is interested either at 100 euros with adapter, or 200 euros with adapter and L-E Mount VND. 

I hear you…
I have flip flopped back and forth over it all year long…
I have come to the conclusion it’s a tool, but other than that, I have limited connection with it.
Is that important?
To me, yes it is.
Part of my enjoyment of my work is the tools doing what I need them to do whilst getting out of the way (or at least not in the way) and enjoying them.
For me the S5ii just doesn’t have any soul.
The size and weight is good as are the ergos and I like the video picture quality enough, but as I may have mentioned once or twice before, it doesn’t inspire me in any way and I prefer the S1H.
So I have put my order back in for the second time on the Nikon Zf.
Beyond that, we’ll see but my current thinking is running a 2 system set up in 2024 of Lumix for video and Nikon for stills.
If I do go with that which seems the most likely option for me, I’ll see if I remain with 2 systems, something I would rather avoid, or whether I go fully back to Nikon…
The current plan (Plan 348) is:
Retain 1x S5ii and put it in the static video role.
Keep the S1H and move it from sole stills unit back into roaming filming camera.
Sell the other S5ii plus the Leica 24-90 and replace that with the Zf plus 28, 40 and 105 primes as my candid, personal and ‘less serious’ work camera.
In the new year, add a used Z9 with Tamron 35-150 as my heavy duty work unit.
My overall summary of the S5ii is I have tried to love it, but I just don’t. I don’t hate it, - it’s just not working for me as I had hoped. Sadly.

In a nutshell. I'd like say I respect that because I am someone who shoots what I want in the way I want with little to no client input in regard to that or the end result, but...
I do so from a certain 'safety/insurance' POV in that I will ensure as much as possible, there is at least 1 other angle for elements such as ceremonies plus back up audio etc in order that yes the artistry is important, but not at the expense of maintaining a certain level of what should be as standard, due diligence.
No back up angle for something such as a ceremony is not just the opposite of being a necessity, it does as you say limit the edit massively. People move, sometimes randomly, or don't stand where they were supposed to, or sit when they should be standing, or stand when they should be sitting. People hold up phones or wave parasols on hot days. The sun moves, the light changes... It's anything from 10-45 minutes of non-rehearsed random stuff from non-professionals with zero second chances.
Yes you could bring even more bodies and add even more kit, but at what point do you draw the line?
Simple for me, - cover 2 bases:
1: The basics/essentials.
2: Then the creative stuff.
Use both, one or the other as needed in the edit.
He did tell me early on that the RED was principally for his commercial stuff and weddings were a secondary thing for him and he was beginning to recognise that he perhaps didn't have the best tool for the job.
And no lighting. Luckily, I did and lit the speeches for us both 😉

Yep. Just the other day I did a rare photo only event because they already had a video guy booked.
He shot the entire day on a RED with I think Canon EF 24-70 but had a play with one of my S5ii’s and was very envious of the size, weight and AF.
Interestingly (to me anyway), I could see how limiting it was, forcing him to work to the camera’s tune rather than how he otherwise might if he could work 100% faster and in a more flexible and reactive manner.
Which does make me think that the right or best tool for the job is not necessarily the most expensive one…
FX3 over his RED every single day!
Making a movie or a doc or anything that is not an event, OK, that might allow/justify something more ‘pro’, but like the guy I know who shoots weddings purely at 28mm, I personally think there is something being lost in that choice.
Using that RED highlighted that to me.
If he likes it and his clients like the result and don’t know any different, fair enough, but nah, wouldn’t be for me.

Yep. Just the other day I did a rare photo only event because they already had a video guy booked.
He shot the entire day on a RED with I think Canon EF 24-70 but had a play with one of my S5ii’s and was very envious of the size, weight and AF.
Interestingly (to me anyway), I could see how limiting it was, forcing him to work to the camera’s tune rather than how he otherwise might if he could work 100% faster and in a more flexible and reactive manner.
Which does make me think that the right or best tool for the job is not necessarily the most expensive one…
FX3 over his RED every single day!
Making a movie or a doc or anything that is not an event, OK, that might allow/justify something more ‘pro’, but like the guy I know who shoots weddings purely at 28mm, I personally think there is something being lost in that choice.
Using that RED highlighted that to me.
If he likes it and his clients like the result and don’t know any different, fair enough, but nah, wouldn’t be for me.

A consistent look that is the look I am looking for…
It’s that combo of simple workflow plus law of diminishing returns, ie, with 50% effort, I get 90% of the result I am looking for so can I be bothered to spend another 50% of my time and effort on something nobody would notice but me?
Nope. Life is too short.
YouTube is full of side by side comparisons of camera looks and audio mics and they all look and sound basically the same to me or close enough it makes no difference.
It’s the same with my seemingly never-ending camera/kit quest… The image quality has been there for years, stills and video. It’s more a case of how the stuff works in reality re. minimising or eliminating lens swaps, do the logistics of set up etc take too long to the detriment of coverage etc…
After another full on season I will still be editing for some time, I made a checklist of what worked, what didn’t, what has to change, what I’d like to change if possible, and I will be working my way through that over my off season.

That’s who I am ‘guessing’ is the market for the FX3.
I came very close myself, but went S5ii for various reasons.
It can’t hurt the X1000’s who have bought one or will be buying one just because of the caché that it was used on this movie.
Just as the S1H had the ‘honour’ of being the first full-frame mirrorless camera to be Netflix certified.
I did not buy one for that fact, but kind of low-key proud of it all the same.
Now if only I could get my hands on some 20k+ cine lenses, a crew and 90% of 80 mil and…
Or has that moment passed?
I suspect the next movie shot on a non-pro cam will be shot on the SjCAM twin lens zero marketing Go Pro rival from that thread the other day…

I am now less interested than I was…
I operate very much on the KISS principle as A. You can operate much more simply the less complicated anything is. B. If it ain’t broke and Premiere is not broke for me. C. I know someone who can do me 90% off the entire Adobe suite. D. I is a bit thick when it comes to techy stuff and to be honest, it bores me to tears.
I suspect I’ll manage half a day with Davinci and then chuck it out the window…
I don’t get out much at all to be honest…
And that is why my road car is a 12 year old 200,000 mile Skoda 😉

In my case, Porsche 911.
I could probably just about stretch to a 10 year old (or however old it is now) base spec 997 Carrera, but…
…but I bought a motorhome instead that is: transport, a bedroom, a bathroom, a kitchen, an office, for work, for family and actually in this instance, saves money over a 10 year lifespan compared with just board & lodging on the work side alone.
But then, not all purchases have to be rational or cost-effective. I may very well still switch to Nikon over the coming Winter even though in pure financial terms, it does not make sense 🤔😉

Exactly, it's the same reason I don't own an Aaton Cantar X3, even though I really really really want one. (just maybe, I might commit financial suicide one day and just buy a Cantar X3 anyway!) But I'd never earn another extra penny for having a Cantar. 
Ditto why I don't own Schoeps or DPA shotguns. My 2x MKH60/MKH50 + 2xCS3e / 2x CS1e / CSM1 can do the job just fine enough. 

I use a modern Sigma 28-70mm f2.8 as my principal workhorse for that very reason, to take off that digital edge (along with the OLPF my S1H has) and also for the subtle halation effect that a 1/8th causes (I’m a fan of subtle) but due to modern coatings, you get far less ‘vintage effect’ than an old lens, ie, contrast is reduced, but not massively and there is better sharpness towards the edges.
I appreciate sharpness is not something all desire but personally I prefer a more modern rendering so am not a fan of the soft look. Each to their own and all that…

This. Old zoom lenses on modern IBIS equipped cameras are a PITA to use if stability is a thing. And it is…was for me.
Yup. Can’t stand variable aperture lenses so first thing l do is go to the first constant and use that.
Another yup. There is something to be said for ‘getting it right in camera’, but this is one of those areas where it’s easy to get it so wrong and it can be difficult as a result to recover from. I’ll take a decent starting point and consistency every time.