eatstoomuchjam

Do we all want to shoot a single theme/genre? Come up with a single script that we all shoot in our own styles? Seems like there should be something to tie them all together - if not, what is there to make it different from what we'd all normally be shooting anyway?

Many of the YouTubers that are doing these reviews do a sponsor readout as part of it. Adsense might not be making a lot of money, but I'm guessing that Squarespace or NordVPN or similar pay alright. Maybe you didn't do sponsor readouts, but a lot of those people do. So the equation for them would become "How many videos will I get out of this free trip where I can do a sponsor read vs how many would I make at home with sponsor reads in the same time?" and not "How many pennies will YouTube share with me from AdSense?" I have terrible news for you. The Komodo-X, at least, is just as easy to use as many of my other cameras, right down to having mediocre autofocus/face tracking (I'd say a little below Fuji level, definitely not Canon/Nikon). I never used the OG Komodo, but enough is similar that I'd assume it's about the same, generally. (That's not to say you should get one - just that usability is really pretty alright)

I would never claim to have any sort of Redcode "prowess." With the K-X, just like most of my other cameras, I'm kind of a hack. 😉

I don't think I ever said "wild." Just "weird." It's a lot less weird to me to go from Red to Sony (or almost anybody else). It's just weird to me that anybody would move from any non-Black Magic brand to Pyxis, in particular - I just think Pyxis is pretty lame and there are a lot of better options at the same price or lower. Heck, other than "shoots internal raw" and "has lame high-res touchscreen on the side of the camera," the E2-F6 from more than 5 years ago is a far more capable camera. Anyway, this isn't a Pyxis thread so I'll stop. Anyway, for a certain YouTuber crowd, it seems like their business really is making videos every few months about why they're changing to a new camera from the old one. Then they make a series of videos extolling the benefits of the new camera and selling their guide for it and/or lut pack or whatever. Then a few months later, they move to the next shiny new camera and repeat. Videos about "Why I sold my ________ and changed to _______" are right up there with someone calling their camera a "beast" in terms of things that will inspire me to ask YouTube to stop suggesting their channel to me. 😅

You got me curious enough to watch it. "I'm just gonna sell my Red Komodo-X because this is absolutely fire." He mentions that it's a cheaper camera near the end, but he really seems to be pumped for the Pyxis. Like I said, still seems like a weird choice to me - but he's welcome to do what he wants for a camera.

I'm no psychologist and I don't know the guy personally so I am no more qualified than anybody else to talk to motivations, but I took it as fully tongue-in-cheek, but if you take something else away from it, you're at least equally right (and maybe more right, who knows?). 😃 Sure, but so am I - and so are you, and so is every other person. The most important thing is to understand how people are full of shit. This is a huge problem. Factor into it that for a lot of people, especially if they could only afford one camera, they might have done research for months before they finally got it. For a lot of those people, a suggestion that they didn't make the right decision can instantly put them on the defensive and cause them to lash out. I'd guess that a huge majority of online dick waving contests about cameras stem from this sort of sensitivity. To follow on that, at least for me, any time anybody refers to their camera as a "beast," whether it be YouTuber or commenter or whatever, I instantly devalue most of what they said before/after. Cameras aren't beasts. They are tools. One should understand the positives and negatives of the tool and base purchase and usage decisions on those things.

I always took that as tongue-in-cheek and as a device to add a bit of humor to what would otherwise be relatively dry videos of somebody showing him a bunch of lights on lightstands, etc.

You think BM panicked about the S9? Did they have bad intel? I really can't think of any potential customer for a full frame BMPCC who would be jumping ship for the S9 - though I'm sure there that once it starts shipping, there will be at least some YouTubers who will make videos about how they're dropping their current camera for the S9. Similarly, there was at least one who made one about how he was selling his Komodo-X to buy a Pyxis. I didn't watch the video, though - just saw the headline, shrugged, and thought "that seems like a weird choice, but you do you, buddy." I probably blocked his channel from my recs too since that's my default behavior when YT suggests "Why I'm changing from ______ to ________" videos to me.

I'm no fan of Gerald, as a general rule. He's not a filmmaker and he has a tendency to harp on and on about fairly unimportant flaws in cameras in his reviews. One of the reasons that he doesn't share much footage is because he's not out there making footage. But I do applaud that video and I appreciate the peek behind the curtain of camera reviews. I hadn't thought before about the angle of trip reviews being biased toward positive partly because of camaraderie, food, and drink (hearing a list of positives and having limited time always seemed logical to me). As others have pointed out, there are some weird inconsitencies. He mentions that his early look videos don't do a lot better than his later-released videos... but then he also makes comments about how if Panasonic doesn't work with him, it could cause him problems. Why? I'm sure that his sponsor spots pay well enough for spend $150 renting the camera for a few days and still have enough to support his lifestyle. That's what most of us schlubs need to do if we want to test a camera before buying it - plunk down some money and rent the damn thing. Anyway, if nothing else, hopefully having a bigger YouTuber saying it inspires the legions of people who breathlessly click on release videos and get super excited by the hype to start thinking more critically about launch PR videos and remembering that the people who set them up are the marketing team.

Nice! I thought it must be using OneInchEye at first, but then I saw that you mentioned StarVis. Apparently the same guy who makes OneInchEye also makes StarLightEye. https://www.tindie.com/products/will123321/starlighteye/ Could be worth messing around a bit - the cinemapi sensors are getting really decent, finally.

Oh yeah, definitely a good deal. If I were at all interested in the Black Magic ecosystem or weird form factor, I'd jump on it.

My guess is that sales were really low at the normal price to start with and that the announcement of a box camera dropped them to approximately 0. Better to make a bunch of sales at break-even or even a slight loss than to write off a bunch of inventory.

M mount adapter + Summicron-M 50mm f/2.

Lighting has always been more important than camera choice.

"I ruined a lot of shots just because I thought a $10,000 camera setup would transform my bad lighting and framing into something cinematic." Flawless quote. I've used mine as the A camera on 2 short films so far - one for Four Points Film Project and one for a local short film festival called Z Fest. My favorite modes are the 5.8k 2.39 mode that uses full sensor width and the full size 4k mode where I can choose between decent RS and high dynamic range. I also like the 8k mode, but less for the resolution and more for the crop to vary up my prime focal lengths. It also doesn't hurt that the Fuji 110/2 is probably my favorite lens that I ever used on any format/camera. Going in for a any sort of close-up with that lens feels like you just typed a cheat code into your monitor. For most shorts that I shoot, I'm way more likely to just grab the C70 or the K-X. The Fuji can make some amazing images, but I'm always having to think about which mode I'm in and which positives/drawbacks that mode has... plus the big sensor can create some problems. Like, if I put on a fast manual lens with character that I like, I might need to stop it down to f/4 to get enough working DOF to keep the talent in focus while they move (or to have the tip of their nose still in focus while their eyes are sharp) - and by f/4, a lot of the character that I like in that lens vanishes. This objection is reduced a lot with native or EF glass, though, since the eye detect AF is really decent (back to the 110/2, did I mention that I love that lens?). That said, if I'm traveling and can only bring one camera, it's a no-brainer for me. The GFX 100 II is by far the best all-around camera I've ever touched. I've taken it to Turkey and Brazil since getting it and never found myself wishing I had another camera with me. There's a reason that my answer in the "If you could have only one camera..." thread was simply "GFX 100 II." 😁

I'd take the S9 over the fp. I had an fp and an fp-l for a while. I used them on some personal stuff and they were a lot of fun with M mount lenses, but in the end, even using the DPL cages for them, by the time you made them even remotely usable, they were much bigger than something like an EOS R5. Without an external SSD, they're limited to 8-bit codecs - and if I remember right, there's no log profile anyway - just a "flat" one which didn't really seem to add much DR vs neutral. Anyway, 10-bit v-log on the S9 would be just fine and give some flexibility. Also, I'm not sure what RS is like on the S9, but it'd be pretty shocking if it were as bad or worse than on the fp. Also, FWIW, there is no cooling fan on the fp (that I remember), but it does have vents for airflow. Overheating was never a problem with mine. Anyway, I sold my fps because other than "it's a bit smaller," they didn't do anything better than any other camera than I own - and while the smaller argument is valid, it evaporated as soon as I turned them into something that I would actually shoot with. I still hold out hope that they'll come out with a newer one with 10-bit or 12-bit internally, though. 😄

Keep in mind that in 2009 (when the 7d was released), the number of consumer lenses designed for APS-C was even less than now - and there weren't a ton of people adapting vintage Cooke lenses to the 7d. Plus, 15 years ago, sensor technology was not what it is now. Personally, I don't care a lot for Sigma lenses. Every time I put one on my camera, I feel like I'm putting on something designed by a robot - all technical perfection, no soul. But yes, the 18-35 is quite popular. The EF-S 17-55/2.8 is one of the standout lenses for Canon APS-C, but it's one of only a small number. Fast primes? Not many. I HAVE considered picking up the 18-135 USM for a walkaround lens for C70 + Komodo-X since it's decent enough quality and a big zoom range, but while I'd use that for personal stuff, I'd be really unlikely to take it out of the bag when on set. Who is making CCD in the still world nowadays? The sensor options in the still world are about the same as in the video world at this point. Still world has Foveon, but video world has the 17:9 sensors included in many cinema cameras - and most mirrorless cameras (excepting GR1 and Hasselblad medium format) support a video mode which effectively means that most modern still camera sensors are also video sensors... but most dedicated cinema cameras don't feature a still photo mode. The main thing to differentiate a pro DP from an amateur, IMO, is knowing how to light. Choice of cameras like the Alexa tends to be due to a feature set designed for a large crew, reliability, and having the most flexible image to hand off to professional colorists who also spend 80%+ of their time working on footage from the Alexa. This is one of the reasons that a lot of stuff was still being shot on 2.8k Alexa when RED had 4, 5, 6, and 8k sensors available in their cameras. As people here have repeatedly pointed out, a lot of the best DP's aren't making choices for the sharpest possible image - if you want the image to look a little soft, using a Speed Panchro on a 2.8k sensor to upsize to 4k is going to get you there. Will any Internet camera/lens reviewer give a glowing review to that combo? Doubtful. Will an audience watching the film walk out talking about how beautiful the film was? Yup. As a perfect example, I just watched Dune 2 last night since it's finally free on Max. Lots of people have been talking about how beautiful it was. As I watched, some of the scenes were really pretty sharp-looking and they were the ones that seemed mostly CG. When humans were on screen, I repeatedly noticed how unsharp the images were. Googled a bit and found this bit from the DP > "Texturizing the image was the name of the game. The larger ALEXA sensors are so extraordinary that I felt we needed to dirty the image up a bit." Shot on large format sensors, but too much perfection/sharpness felt soulless. Also: > We had a 57 mm LOOK lens with Petzval glass where you can dial in your effect with a third lens ring Dude shot parts of Dune 2 with a $400 Lomography lens. https://shop.lomography.com/us/new-petzval-55-f-1-7-mkii-art-lens And: > Ultimately Fraser and his team decided to use spherical optics and he worked with a diverse range from ARRI Rental including re-housed 1980s Moviecams and re-housed Soviet-era glass provided by IronGlass, along with some lenses from his collection. Dude shot parts of Dune 2 with Helios 44-2 and Jupiter-9 and lenses like that. Can't afford the IronGlass rehoused versions? Go buy 'em for like $200-300 on ebay.

Ha! I never thought of it as a Civic, but that's great. I'm going to remember that. I recently got a Komodo-X and even though any number of specs from the K-X are better on paper than the C70, I fully intend to keep using my C70 for a lot of stuff. Having built-in ND filters and a ton of buttons to assign things to and an articulating internal screen, the C70 is just faster to use. Plus the DR is great and the image looks nice SOOC. I kind of think of it as a camera used by people who want to get it done. It's not flashy - and when you show up on set and tell people you're using a C70, nobody's all excited... but when you show the results, people are happy with them.

It's absolutely really, really average. I'm not sure that even Panasonic would object to that characterization. I'm not sure if the S5 II sensor was new when that camera was released, but even that model is about 1.5 years old. So this is a budget version of a camera that could hardly be considered cutting edge. Almost everything about the S9 screams that a couple of years ago, someone in Panasonic management asked "People really seem to love that X100 V, what's our answer to it?" And there's nothing wrong with any of that. It's kind of fantastic that there's now a $1,500 full-frame camera capable of 6K (including open gate) which includes PDAF. It could be pretty great with Leica M lenses for now. I'm admittedly not super familiar with the options out there for L mount, but one really hopes that it inspires a bunch of decent small f/2 or f/2.8 FF lenses for the system - and not just a kind of shit 26mm f/8 which will probably be a reminder of the Olympus body cap lenses for M4/3 (and not in a good way).

10 minute recording limit in 6K modes, 15 minute recording limit in 4K modes. Completely lacks all-I, ProRes, and external raw. Has PDAF and IBIS. Uses the same sensor as S5 II/S5 IIx. Could be great for casual use. Maybe people will convince Panasonic to add a better codec in a future firmware update.

Also PetaPixel: https://petapixel.com/2024/05/22/panasonic-s9-initial-review-small-pretty-and-confusing/

So-so "review," but it was the first that I saw go live. Size is actually pretty reasonable. It's probably about as small as a usable FF camera is likely to be any time soon.

This is a really weird paragraph. APS-C is popular in the filmmaking community because it's a really close match to the size of Super 35 film. A majority of films made for decades were done on that film and there are bazillions of lenses that support the format. Since the lens is generally much more important than the sensor, S35 continued to be popular in the video world. Also, the real-world differences between FF and APS-C/APS-H are not nearly as big as people make them out to be. One thing that hinders APS-C adoption in the still photo world is the lack of high-quality lenses optimized for the format. As somebody mentioned before, Canon barely make any of them for RF mount and barely made any for EF-S mount. On the other hand, Fuji APS-C bodies are growing in popularity and have a fantastic line-up of great lenses to support them. It has nothing to do with rolling shutter, fwiw. There are full frame cameras with global shutter. Readout speed is only partly based on sensor size.

For a dedicated video camera, the C70 also has great DR, internal ND, and decent audio - and it has RF mount. Put on Canon's focal reducer and your lenses will look almost exactly like they do on FF (though then it will be EF). I'll do a side-by-side with my R5. I never noticed raw video having a lot less DR than stills, but I never did any formal test. I mostly just thought it seemed pretty mediocre/blah for both. 😄 As time goes on, I care less and less about having full frame for video. I bought two dedicated cameras for video work in the last year and they were both RF mount with S35 sensors (though the K-X is more like APS-H than APS-C). I've liked everything I shot with both, except for self-inflicted technical problems (which were no fault of the cameras').

The R5 seems like it would be a really weird choice for the ML people since it already shoots 8k raw - and I haven't noticed the DR in raw on my R5 seeming all that different from the DR on still images. Whatever differences there are, IMO they wouldn't be enough for me to use ML raw and have to convert each clip before importing into Resolve vs just being able to directly open the Canon raw files directly. Better for ML to target bodies like the original R6 which didn't include any sort of raw video - or even better, flesh out support for the M series which is tiny, cheap on the used market due to being a dead system, and has some models that are at least 4k capable. At least, if I were on the project, I'd be more excited to tell people "Now you can shoot 2.5k raw (or 3.2k or whatever SD card slot can support) on a $400 M50" than "Now you can shoot otherer more differenter raw on your $2,300 camera that already has raw."