Zeng

I suspect that in the entire history of cameras, there has never been as much hype, followed by pre-orders, followed by hysteria, followed by cancelled pre-orders...before a camera has actually gone on sale to the public as there has been with these two firebrands 😂

I don’t get all the negativity.
This is a very sensible camera from Sony as long as it doesn’t overheat and ruin a real world shoot. Everybody wanted a FF 4K60p 10-bit camera. We have it now. With excellent AF, ALL-I, log, no pixel binning in sight (!) and hopefully no overheating in practical terms.
Sure, the flip screen is low resolution and rubbish. The menus are straight out of kindergarden classroom. And its only 12MP. Who cares. It’s about the sausage in the end.
I hate to say it but Sony is probably going to be the company to give us that internal eND in a mirrorless body someday.

Sony unveils their new menu designer.

16 bit raw recorded as 12 bit Log ProRes RAW? This is the only camera to do this right? Guessing it doesn’t really matter though for 99% of cases.
 
(from Atomos press release)

Once again, Nikon is not getting the credit they deserve (but hey, what is new? This has been going on for years. Same happened with the D90/D5200/D750/D500/etc etc etc).

You call the Nikon Z6 "late to the game", yet here we are nearly years after the Z6 was announced, and the Z6 still remains as a strongly competitive option in the FF marketplace. The Nikon Z6 is after all the only sub $3K FF camera with 4K raw!

Plus the Nikon Z6 still has better AF (looking at you Panasonic / Z Cam / Sigma / etc), better ergonomics (vs Sony / Z Cam / Sigma / etc), better colors (than Sony), better lens range than almost all (once you factor in the FTZ), better IBIS (than Sony / Z Cam / Sigma ) and more.... than some of the Z6's FF competitor. 

Am not FF obsessed myself (thus I'm more likely to choose a Panasonic G9 instead), but if I was to buy a FF mirrorless right now today then the Nikon Z6 is right at the top of my list, with the Panasonic S1 in a competitive second place (and the Z5 in 3rd place). 

Have you actually used prores raw in Z6? It has far less issues than presented by some youtubers. And I find AF on native lenses very good in video mode. In fact I was shooting on 2 cameras, Canon C200 beside Z6, and AF is actually tracking better on Z6. Believe it or not. No hunting, smooth transition. They really made those S lenses great for video. There's really little not to like about them. Lack of linear focus is the only thing I can think of. Maybe people judge too much by the looks these days? They might lack solid look (although I dig it), hence they are not good?

Talking about 98% of people here is an idea for Blackmagic.
Full frame Pocket Cinema Pro 6K.
Articulated screen.
ND.
New body design with power efficient processor.
Did I mention articulated screen?
Yes the Alexa is wasted on us!
But 12K? Bring it on!

What I am really sad is that people on site like here (because believe me a lot of people are using the Z for video in Nikon groups etc) don't  give a serious look at what Nikon is doing. As a d810, d750 to the D70 15 years ago user, the most enjoyable camera I have used are my 2 z6. As a hybrid shooter I can just flick a button and switch from video or photo mode.
Now for me the z6 could have been a little bigger, double card slot and 4k 60p and 10 bit and log internal. The double card slot and 4k 60p seems to be coming in a next update about September, october. I would really really like a 10 bit and internal log, it would be a dream come true, but at least if it is not possible with current tech (look at overheating in R5 R6) you have the possibility to use the Ninja V. I mean if a z6 with a Ninja V is too big for anyone, I am out of breath. I mean it is smaller than using an entry level camera like the Nikon D3500 and a flash. And if you do any video seriouly that need 10 bit and Log you will have to carry tripods or Ronin etc.
Now the good part, the z6 is the best experience shooting I have. I mean with the fantastic viewfinder, excellent IBIS, touch screen and best of all autofocus, I can shoot handheld like doing photos. For reportage style that I do for a well known worldwide broadcaster, it is a game changer. Doing B-rolls don't need to put on a tripod anymore. Except for very smooth pan or walking shot that I will use tripod, stabilizer or interview setup and higher end job. The auto-focus is super good and getting better with every extra firmware update. Last year when it was about buying a BM camera to compliment the z6 (60fps 4k and eventually raw) the auto-focus killed that though. This combined with slowmo 120fps at 1080p gives such good quality. That 120 fps is underrated, even if it 1080p it is still gorgeous. I would hope even a 4k 120 fps or even a crop or a 2,7k version, just to intercut it a bit closer to the 4k.
Now it terms of usability, you have 3 U setting button that I configured to 24, 60 and 120 fps with all corresponding shutter speed. I would have liked for them to have included banks that I could choose because I live in a Pal country but shoot for an American one and also for creative job shoot at 24 fps. There are two user configurable button in the front and have configured on to swith from FX to DX mode and the other for changing focus mode. You also have a very nice rear touch LCD with rapid menu that you can also configure to your need. In the end the z6 is the most versatile and ergonomic camera I have ever use. I can change aperture, shutter speed and ISO just with my thumb and upper finger.
Now there are things I have been experimenting lately with the the app, where I can sync timecode using the automatic time which uses gps etc, and rack focusing with it.
 
 

Its extraordinary how people are misinformed about Nikon. I mean is it perfect, no, but which 2k camera is. firstly about construction, the Z line construction is as good as it gets. Its not me or some anecdotal feeling but expert in camera construction. Many feel bigger is better, I myself find it to be a little small but in this world, doing a d850 size mirrorless is suicide. For me I have the smallrig cage permanently on now, it givesme a better overall grip and I prefer bigger cameras anyway, but I understand them with the Mirroless must be small Jihadist.  This tells you how good it is constructed, there was a pro wildlife photographer that told about his experience in the artic where the D850 stopped working at extreme temperatures while his Z still worked until very very low. 
https://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2018/10/teardown-of-the-nikon-z7-mirrorless-camera/
 
 

Z6 has about the same DR as S1H. A little over 12 stops. Tested myself. Well, depending on what's acceptable to you in the shadows, maybe 1/3 to 1/2 stop more on S1H as it uses NR.

Z6 has about the same DR as S1H. A little over 12 stops. Tested myself. Well, depending on what's acceptable to you in the shadows, maybe 1/3 to 1/2 stop more on S1H as it uses NR.

Nikon Rumors is an extremely photography focused website, no surprise if they're light on the video spec details. Plus this is only the first ever leaked info about the Z6s, more info should be yet to come. Hopefully including the likes of internal N-Log / 10bit / etc! (and my own personal wishlist: TC input and waveforms!!)
 
1) I have slightly more faith in the future of Z Mount (which is backed by half of the historically dominant Canikon) than L Mount (which is supported by two super tiny niche camera body brands of Leica / Sigma, plus a small/midsized company which is Panasonic that has its interests split across at least two mounts already)
2) Nikon F mount lenses work far better on a Z6 than a S1
3) Z6 has the Z50 baby brother to share lenses with, the S1 doesn't. 
4) the Z6 is cheaper secondhand than the S1 by a couple of hundred bucks (and much cheaper than an R6, will take a while until the R6 prices drift down really low onto the secondhand market seeing as how the R6 isn't even released yet)

My personal conclusion - it's great. Well worth. Image quality is amazing, the image "thinkness" I get is great for grading. Just shot a project were we risked using 3 different cameras to capture simultaneously. Z6 with prores RAW, bmpcc 4K and GH5. While all are realtively easy to bring close ( I use Sage's Bmpcc and GH5 to Alexa LUTs and convert Z6 prores raw to logC to apply Arri Alexa LUTs further), Z6 image stands out imo. Yes, it's pixel-binned, not pixel-for-pixel full readout, but there are only very specific situation where you'd notice some artefacts. Never in normal shooting conditions. That's my experience.

One ultra-modern film for me is "Otto e mezzo" by Fellini. Maybe even more advanced to it's time than 2001 Space Odissey. 

They most likely share a sensor or sensor tech from Canon.
 
I would take any DR numbers from manufactures with a large pinch of salt as they always seem overly optimistic.
Maybe technically there is 16 stops but they aren’t “real” perceived stops. Most are just hovering an ass hair width above the noise floor.
The C300 Mk3 is probably going to come in around 13 stops like the C500, which is quite good (S1H is 12.7; very impressive showing from Panasonic for its form factor!)
It has been said the Komodo is using a Canon sensor, which is probably using a larger variant of the sensor in the C300. It’s also rumored to have PDAF.
So now we have a RED Camera with:
REDCODE RAW, PDAF Canon sensor.
Very attractive combo if RED can keep their price down below $8,000 dollars. I am not optimistic as the price seems to rise with every tease and with every “feature” they add.
We’ve all heard it but if Panasonic would have added Phase Detect AF to their S1H it would have been a mega hit for $4,000! All of it in a modern mirrorless form factor with a versatile screen and IBIS and weather sealing.
I much prefer S1H size over Canon C100 or the Komodo which needs a butt load of expensive accessories to work. No thanks!
No Canon cripples. No RED accessory-money-pit-of-hell.
They missed an opportunity there.

Absolutely underrated. IBIS is on par with S1H. And I fell in love with it's autofocus using Z lenses (have 50mm and 24-70 f4). Never thought I would, but they did it right definitely giving video shooters some thought  - lenses practically don't breath, focus absolutely silently, and there's no hunting, transitions are smooth. There was so much hate and misinformation about Z6 from the beginning. And Nikon are so incapable of marketing the strengths of their products, it almost makes you cry...

Absolutely underrated. IBIS is on par with S1H. And I fell in love with it's autofocus using Z lenses (have 50mm and 24-70 f4). Never thought I would, but they did it right definitely giving video shooters some thought  - lenses practically don't breath, focus absolutely silently, and there's no hunting, transitions are smooth. There was so much hate and misinformation about Z6 from the beginning. And Nikon are so incapable of marketing the strengths of their products, it almost makes you cry...

Absolutely underrated. IBIS is on par with S1H. And I fell in love with it's autofocus using Z lenses (have 50mm and 24-70 f4). Never thought I would, but they did it right definitely giving video shooters some thought  - lenses practically don't breath, focus absolutely silently, and there's no hunting, transitions are smooth. There was so much hate and misinformation about Z6 from the beginning. And Nikon are so incapable of marketing the strengths of their products, it almost makes you cry...

Absolutely underrated. IBIS is on par with S1H. And I fell in love with it's autofocus using Z lenses (have 50mm and 24-70 f4). Never thought I would, but they did it right definitely giving video shooters some thought  - lenses practically don't breath, focus absolutely silently, and there's no hunting, transitions are smooth. There was so much hate and misinformation about Z6 from the beginning. And Nikon are so incapable of marketing the strengths of their products, it almost makes you cry...

Absolutely underrated. IBIS is on par with S1H. And I fell in love with it's autofocus using Z lenses (have 50mm and 24-70 f4). Never thought I would, but they did it right definitely giving video shooters some thought  - lenses practically don't breath, focus absolutely silently, and there's no hunting, transitions are smooth. There was so much hate and misinformation about Z6 from the beginning. And Nikon are so incapable of marketing the strengths of their products, it almost makes you cry...

So very true
Still sets a high bar nearly 6 years later. Especially with the high bitrate hack.
That is a very good lens by the way, incredibly sharp for a zoom. Fuji's lenses are fantastic, however the Samsung version of that zoom was a stop faster at the wide end and had OIS.
I notice the X-T4 IBIS has a mode which combines OIS and sensor stabilisation BTW.
You should try the Fringer EF mount adapter for the Z6. The AF is like dual pixel AF. Works much more reliably than the Techart e-mount adapter did.
The Z6 remains a very underrated tool.
I think the problem is that almost all the competition is more interesting in one way or another and the body design make it look like a cheap Nikon 1 series thing.
Yeah, I'm not warming to the feel of it either. X-Pro 3 and X-H1 far nicer and pro-feeling. The whole thing is covered in soulless, thin, faux leather. The way that fake leather covers the entire back of the LCD when it's closed - UGH. What were the thinking. X-T4, for want of a better word just feels a bit cheap? A bit clinical? Not as fun? Yet it has all the right features in the right place... Just played at a slightly tinny tone.
I feel it will improve with a nice cage and wooden grip like SmalRig offers for certain cameras, such as the Sigma Fp.
The shallow grip is woeful on the X-T4.
The buttons feel no better than an X-T200. It's a bit of a shame, because the flip out screen, EVF, and new movie / stills switch are all good handling features.
The X-H1 dialled down (no pun intended) the retro stuff and got it right. Why the X-T4 simply didn't just adopt the X-H1 body I have no idea. There doesn't need to be two lines at the moment.
The one thing I DO like about the shutter dial is it's quick to go from 180 degree shutter to auto. I have 1/50 on T, Bulb uses minimum shutter speed in low light for video, and A is effectively an aperture priority mode for me.
The ISO dial doesn't do it for me. Would rather have it on a jog wheel like normal.
I find it depends a lot on the lens. Some of Fuji's best lenses like the 23mm F1.4 have old fashioned grinding motors and moving barrels during AF. They are extremely loud for video shooting and slower than the internal focussing lenses like the zooms.
Fuji needs to update their primes and it was a stupid decision in the first place to put such old AF tech in the lenses.
On the camera body side I feel the AF is fundamentally good but still not as reliable as it should be for video.
I also like the Micro Four Thirds 1.95x crop mode at ALL resolutions and frame rates 
F-LOG is great for maximum dynamic range, at least 12-stops by eye, and the view assist works well too although could use a contrast adjustment slider.
It does take longer to open out than a tilt screen, but it's horses for corses...pros and cons. The GH2 had one. I loved it, never had a problem with it.
The finger hole to undock it and the mechanism is a bit too stiff and fiddly on the X-T4 though.
The Nikon Z6 I think is a bit of a Canon EOS R6 type camera, if that is how we expect it to turn out - not quite a 1D X III with RAW and 5.5K but 4K at normal frame rates, a good all rounder, with good colour and decent AF with EF lenses (Fringer adapter).
I feel the X-T4 neither has the nimbleness or fun of an NX1, but it doesn't lack for features that's for sure.
It feels like Fuji has one set of designers on X-H1 / GFX 100 and another set on X-T series. One side is designing pro cameras, the other side is a bunch of hipsters with their retro ISO dials and should be fired.

A few things:
 
ADC in this camera is linear, so no funny business with Log encoding or anything like that.
96db of dynamic range is an audio standard. The video/photo equivalent would be 48db (a stop is either 3db or 6db, power or amplitude).
IIRC N-bit ADCs have DR = 6.021N + 1.763dB (audio), or 3.021N + 1.007dB, so a 12-bit ADC = 74dB/37dB or 12.333 stops of dynamic range.
The sensor is 12-bit readout of ~6K photosites in a Bayer array.. When this is tested at 4K we have significantly more than 12 bits of readout per measured pixel. 8-bit 4k IS 10-bit 1080p, etc.

Just finished a new tool, it does what the title says. It's in beta, bugs are possible. [CLICK HERE]
Fuji just released the Bleach Bypass LUT, which has some weird transitions, so I'll use it as a demonstration.
This is the stress test image I'll use:

 
See what happens when you apply the Bleach Bypass LUT:

 
Now I use my tool in "box" mode with 1 iterations to create a new LUT:

 
This is "box" mode with 5 iterations:

 
More details on the site.

2) The Pocket 4k/6k in a boxy design would be great I think. As much as I hate the buttons on the BMMCC (micro camera), I really like the form factor of it. Having a new Pocket Camera like this, with better buttons etc. would be a cool thing. In general, cameras being more modular in terms of external display, microphone, battery, recording media etc. would be a great thing.

It is clear why RED did it. 
RED wants to target a more "consumer" market with Komodo, which means choosing a mirrorless mount is sensible. 

I'd argue a MFT Mount would be best, but perhaps RED wants to avoid the marketing confusion of using a S35 sensor behind a MFT Mount (sadly far far far too many people don't understand that this is possible) and maybe also the Komodo sensor can't do this? (as Komodo has a somewhat larger than normal sensor for S35, maybe it is just ever so slightly too big now for MFT?)

So what is next best? E / X / Z / L / RF mounts of course. Sony seems to clearly not want competitors using E Mount, seeing as how Kinefinity only offers a dumb E Mount. 

I guess (hope!) RED went to all of these others to see who else was open to collaborating (Fuji and Nikon are fools if they squashed down the proposal! And of course L should welcome anybody who wishes to join). 

Now what is in it for Canon?

Well, Canon has had a bumpy road on the path to mirrorless domination, they're at risk they might not achieve this like they did with EF. 
Canon had a false start with the now soon to be dead end EF-M mount, this is going to come back to bite them. 

Sony E Mount has a massive head start over Canon. 

Fujifilm clearly is doing better in the APS-C world than Canon's APS-C. 

Nikon is part of the historical Duopoly, so of course is going to be a threat for Canon, and so far I'd argue Nikon has been doing a better job here in their roll out (certain when you look at sales of bodies only sorted by best sellers / most popular on B&H / Adorama  then Nikon mirrorless is ranking strongly vs Canon. Of course with the Canon R5 /R6 pairing I bet Canon expects they'll race ahead of Nikon, but Nikon won't be standing still either. Am sure in late 2020 / early 2021 we'll see a gangbuster release from Nikon in response)

Who is going to be #1 / #2 in the mirrorless world 10yrs from now is still very much up in the air! Could be anybody. 

Thus I find it very understandable that Canon could be considering wild card strategies to help RF Mount get a jump over the competition, and if Komodo is a massive success then that will go a long way to cementing RF Mount as a defacto standard in the videography/cinema world. 

And Canon in the video world isn't really a direct direct competitor for RED like some others. RED's direct competitors are more like ARRI (who RED are trying to attack from below) and Kinefinity (who is attacking RED themselves from below). 

While Canon's direct competitors are Sony (the classic F3/FS700 vs C300mk1, FS100 vs C100, then FS7 vs C300mk2, C200 vs FS5, etc) or Panasonic (C200/C300mk2 vs Varicam LT / EVA1).

So pairing up with RED just for Komodo has relatively little downside, and a potentially significant upside. 

If I was running Canon, then RED using RF Mount for Komodo makes so much sense that RED doesn't even have to offer anything back in exchange. 
 
It is already legal to use 5:1 compression of raw, it is 6:1 compression and beyond which is covered by RED's Patent.