herein2020

There is a little bit of that in me also.
I will reward someone for a job well done just as much as I will walk away from someone/something that is taking the piss.
I used Fuji for nearly a decade despite it falling short in many areas, because there was 'enough' for my needs and I also felt a certain brand loyalty because as camera companies go, they are one of the best.
I haven't felt that with Panasonic. The tool does the job I want it to do, but their customer service in both the UK and EU has been, "we don't give a fuck". That has not endeared them to me.
The deliberate and artificial over-heating shenanigans of Canon meant that despite their tool possibly being a very high contender for my needs, as a company they can go and do one.
Just this morning, I had an issue with the particular theme of my Wordpress site. I'm not an especially (OK, not very at all) techy person and I needed some help from the theme developer. All I got back all morning was abrupt single line, condescending and somewhat cryptic, " we don't give a fuck" responses and they haven't even bothered to answer my last question. All of which just confirms that they can fuck off and my next site later this year will be Squarespace because it is actually ideal for technical fuckwits like me who just want to add content and that's all.
For every one of us that votes with our feet and wallets, there are 9 others who will not however, either because they can't be bothered, or have not yet experienced the negatives.
All I know is it comes back to one thing and that is if I ran my small business like 90%+ how many others do, I'd be out of business. Or hate the process so much I'd have to shoot myself.

I couldn't agree more...I used this period to finally ditch Premier and truly embrace Resolve.....best decision I've made in a long time.  It also gave me time to properly build my kit for the S5 and transition from the GH5.....now I just need paying clients again and I'll be all set. If I could just get rid of Photoshop and Lightroom I'll have eliminated nearly all recurring costs.

I couldn't agree more...I used this period to finally ditch Premier and truly embrace Resolve.....best decision I've made in a long time.  It also gave me time to properly build my kit for the S5 and transition from the GH5.....now I just need paying clients again and I'll be all set. If I could just get rid of Photoshop and Lightroom I'll have eliminated nearly all recurring costs.

My 20-60mm is gathering dust after using it once while I waited for the EF adapter. It was just too slow for me on the long end. If I ever switch to L mount lenses the 20mm end might be interested as long as its daylight.
 
I thought the exact same thing when I read it. I really like 24mm on the wide end and I also really like F1.4 when there is no light or I'm shooting detail shots; so this lens is interesting but falls right outside of what I need both in speed and in FOV. Right now my favorite 3 lenses on my S5 are the Canon EF 24mm F2.8, the Canon 24-105mm F4.0 L, and the Sigma EF 50mm F1.4 prime. A lens like this almost replaces all of them....but falls short of each of them in some way. Now a 24-105mm F1.4 would absolutely replace all of them (I'd even take a 24-70 F2.0)....but it would then be way too big and heavy for gimbal work so back to square one.

Well my .02 is I stopped using LUTS for primaries grading for the S5 and feel like my footage is now better than before. LUTS always seemed to do things to the footage that I had no way of knowing what exactly they did with no good way to get back whatever was lost. The C200 is a different story and I cannot match the Canon CLOG3 to Rec709 LUT so I still use that for primaries grading for the C200's footage.
For the S5 I always shoot in VLOG 10bit and use the following workflow in Davinci Resolve as my starting point for all clips:
I create 3 Nodes (Primaries, Curves, FalseColor) In the primaries node I add 90% saturation and 1.17 contrast, I then adjust the lift and gain until the image looks right to my eyes while making sure that it fits within the WFM for Rec.709 I have a false color LUT and I apply that to node 3 then disable the node. After grading the primaries node I enable node 3 to check skin exposure, if the false color LUT shows the skin is over or under exposed I adjust the lift and gain as needed to get proper skin exposure.  After the project is complete I sometimes add an adjustment clip over everything and apply a creative color grading LUT to the adjustment clip to give the entire project a creative grade. Also, but very rarely I use Node 2 to adjust the curves if I'm not getting the granularity I want with the primaries wheels; but its pretty rare. Really the only time I do this is when I need more contrast in a specific area but don't want to affect the rest of the image. My whole process for each clip only takes seconds and after I grade the first clip I just copy the grade to each subsequent clip and make slight adjustments to the lift and gain as needed depending on the lighting conditions. If there are no people in the video  or for that particular clip (i.e. for real estate), then I just use the WFM and make sure nothing is over or under exposed. Definitely not Hollywood quality, but I'm also not being paid Hollywood rates.
For the project settings I've always just left them at their defaults (Davinci YRGB and timeline color space Rec.709). 

The instant sharing part is a very important piece of the puzzle.  When I am doing a photo shoot there are more pictures of the model on her Instagram page from her cell phone during the shoot than I am going to deliver for the whole session and the model spends more time trying to set up her phone for behind the scenes footage than she does listening to my directions.
Also, I always say, thanks to cell phones the expectation is for quantity, not quality and an Instagram filter to fix it in 2s vs me spending hrs in Photoshop and Lightroom refining every detail. People don't care anymore if their heads are cut off, the composition is terrible, the camera is slanted, the WB is off, etc. The only thing they care about is if they are in the picture and if it got uploaded while it was happening; as if all of their "followers" will disappear if they don't get a constant stream of selfies from a model they have never met.
Photography and Videography are a dying art and camera makers moving to the higher end to offset the lower sales was inevitable. These days reviews of a $6000 camera gets more views than the actual video and images taken with that camera.
 

This scenario closely approximates the stresses of the rig that @herein2020 and I propose -- a tripod lightly leaning against the rail (or not at all), but with the added safety of earth and/or a tag line.
 
In contrast, most of the clamping rigs presented in this thread are analogous to standing the drunk people on top of the rail -- precarious and generating stresses for which the rail was not designed.
 
Also, anyone who shoves someone (drunk or not) toward a balcony railing is way too reckless to be rigging anything higher than one meter above the ground.
 
 
Yes, but (using your scenario) if you clamp someone standing to the top of the rail, the rail could fail and/or the person could fall.
 
 
I'd rather set a tripod on top of a balcony that is rated to hold 1000+ Kg, rather than clamp to a piece of glass that was designed to block people from moving laterally off of the balcony.
 
 
Oh boy...   I implore you never to rig anything above anyone's head.
 
 
A tag line is not intended to "catch" the rig if it falls -- it is intended to keep it from moving laterally so it doesn't fall.
 
Don't clamp anything to the rail that would create torsion or flex stress -- even if the CG is above the balcony (and especially if the rail is supported by a glass panel).
 
 
A balcony rail is not a door.
 
This "hook" is essentially 1/2 of a grip "trombone" or a Tota-mount.  Even though those two grip items are exceedingly more secure than your "hook," I wouldn't use either of them on a balcony rail -- especially if it were supported by a glass panel.
 
Furthermore, never use a single "hook" (such as the one pictured) with the CG above the "hook.
 
 
Yeah... don't set up a rig that generates that kind of stress on a balcony rail above people.
 
 
A light-weight Space Clamp with a small ball head would work on the rail shown in the above Bevo football photo, and the same rig would also work on balcony rails, but clamping to balcony rails is really not the best option.
 
 
 
If you don't even know the names of the grip items, perhaps it would be best not to attempt a hazardous rig and just use a small, light tripod and a length of tag line.
 
I have an inexpensive tripod that weighs 0.75 Kg with it's ball head, and it extends to a height of 1.43 meters.  Another advantage of employing a tripod is that you can use it to get other steady shots during your travels.
 
 
 
This is basically the creed of most professional grips and most professional set electricians.  It prevents damage and injury and avoids  liability.    Non-professionals would do well to heed this fundamental guideline.

I now have my Panasonic S5 rigged to meet every type of project that I shoot and I know how much time it can take to get your gear rigged up in a way that works for you so I figured I'd share my setup in case someone else is looking for ideas. Every rig is kept as simple as possible, I can go from one rig to another within less than a minute and none of the rigs require tools to put together or take apart. Also, all of my handles, lenses, rails, tripod plates, audio equipment, and even the V Mount battery is interchangeable with my Canon C200 which is what I wanted for simplicity.
For each set up I provide a parts list and what I use that setup for.
All Setups - Parts
SmallRig Cage for Panasonic S5 Camera 2983
SMALLRIG Quick Release NATO Rail 1.6
Sigma MC-21 EF-Mount to L-Mount Adapter
Andoer Rapid Connect Adapter with Quick Release Sliding Plate
Setup 1 - This is my setup for when I am shooting video only and have the talent wired for audio via a wireless lav mic or a wireless microphone. The extra weight makes handholding easy and I can rest the back on my shoulder or chest for short interview type work. I also shoot content for some YouTube influencer's channels and this setup lets me shoot hand held while capturing their lav audio. With this setup I think I can shoot for about 10hrs without running out of battery life
Equipment
Canon EF 24mm-105mm F4
Panasonic DMW-XLR1 XLR Adapter
Sennheiser G4 receiver
Sennheiser to XLR cable
SMALLRIG Aluminum Side Handle with NATO Clamp
SMALLRIG Tripod Mounting Kit with 2x plates and 2x 15mm Rod Clamps
SMALLRIG 16 Inch Rods x 2
Bebob Factory GmbH COCO-15V III V Mount Battery Plate
V150 Bebob Battery
USB A to USB C cable
2 x Andoer Rapid Connect Adapters

Setup 2 - Same equipment as setup 1 but with the addition of a Manfrotto Video Tripod which also has an Andoer Rapid Connect Receiver plate mounted on it. In the picture I show how I can slide the S5 off of the rails and slide the C200 onto the rails within seconds.
Setup 3 - This is my long form event setup. If I just need a static camera and natural audio this would be my setup. Although I show an external monitor here, I don't actually use one but I showed it anyway in case someone wanted to see where a monitor could go.
Equipment
SMALLRIG HTN2362 Rotating NATO Clamp Handle
SMALLRIG Aluminum Side Handle with NATO Clamp
SMALLRIG Tripod Mounting Kit with 2x plates and 2x 15mm Rod Clamps
SMALLRIG 16 Inch Rods x 2
Bebob Factory GmbH COCO-15V III V Mount Battery Plate
V150 Bebob Battery
USB A to USB C cable
2 x Andoer Rapid Connect Adapters
Video Tripod
Setup 4 - Same equipment as Setup 3 but without the tripod. This is my handheld setup when I am shooting video only and do not need high quality XLR audio. 
Setup 5 - This is my handheld hybrid shoot setup when everything gets crazy and I am shooting a mixture of video and photos and will not use the onset audio at all.
Equipment
SMALLRIG HTN2362 Rotating NATO Clamp Handle
SMALLRIG Aluminum Side Handle with NATO Clamp
Setup 6 - Same setup as 5 but on a monopod. I use the top handle for additional stability and additional points of contact. I also can use the monopod as a light glidecam if I need a little forward or backward movement.
Setup 7 - This is my gimbal setup for everything from real estate to music videos. 
Equipment
Canon EF 24mm F2.8
Ronin S with Inverted Handle Sling Grip

 

I agree, all of these clamping solutions look like an accident waiting to happen or an expensive bill if you damage the railing of the venue. To get enough clamp force most clamps will damage any surface softer than their own teeth and hotels/venues aren't too happy with that kind of damage.  As you mentioned, glass is twice as bad. I go out of my way not to attach anything to anything I don't own if at all possible, so that's why I use the travel tripod; the tag line is a good idea, I might add that if I ever get to travel again. 
When I do a setup like that I have the camera lens literally inches from the top of the railing and my heaviest bag hanging from a hook in the center pole to lower the center of gravity as much as possible, as much as I don't like hauling around a tripod, I'd still rather that over one of these clamping solutions.
 
I do tend to use mine for more than just the balcony though, especially as it gets dark I can use it for longer exposures; when I travel its mostly for nature and landscapes so a tripod is pretty important; my biggest gripe usually is that I don't have a fluid head on the tripod for video but hauling around a good fluid head just makes hauling around the tripod even less like a vacation so I stick to a normal photography head. 

The instant sharing part is a very important piece of the puzzle.  When I am doing a photo shoot there are more pictures of the model on her Instagram page from her cell phone during the shoot than I am going to deliver for the whole session and the model spends more time trying to set up her phone for behind the scenes footage than she does listening to my directions.
Also, I always say, thanks to cell phones the expectation is for quantity, not quality and an Instagram filter to fix it in 2s vs me spending hrs in Photoshop and Lightroom refining every detail. People don't care anymore if their heads are cut off, the composition is terrible, the camera is slanted, the WB is off, etc. The only thing they care about is if they are in the picture and if it got uploaded while it was happening; as if all of their "followers" will disappear if they don't get a constant stream of selfies from a model they have never met.
Photography and Videography are a dying art and camera makers moving to the higher end to offset the lower sales was inevitable. These days reviews of a $6000 camera gets more views than the actual video and images taken with that camera.
 

I use a nato rail to connect to the camera cage then the handle's coldshoe to connect the monitor and wireless lav equipment. My particular top handle has two cold shoes.
 
https://www.amazon.com/SMALLRIG-Camera-Anti-Off-Designed-Spanner/dp/B07X1QKB1Z/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=smallrig+top+handle+wooden&qid=1612396679&sr=8-1

The instant sharing part is a very important piece of the puzzle.  When I am doing a photo shoot there are more pictures of the model on her Instagram page from her cell phone during the shoot than I am going to deliver for the whole session and the model spends more time trying to set up her phone for behind the scenes footage than she does listening to my directions.
Also, I always say, thanks to cell phones the expectation is for quantity, not quality and an Instagram filter to fix it in 2s vs me spending hrs in Photoshop and Lightroom refining every detail. People don't care anymore if their heads are cut off, the composition is terrible, the camera is slanted, the WB is off, etc. The only thing they care about is if they are in the picture and if it got uploaded while it was happening; as if all of their "followers" will disappear if they don't get a constant stream of selfies from a model they have never met.
Photography and Videography are a dying art and camera makers moving to the higher end to offset the lower sales was inevitable. These days reviews of a $6000 camera gets more views than the actual video and images taken with that camera.
 

I use them nearly daily; they are a great relatively inexpensive way to increase the production value of a project. That being said, many people overdo it or end up with long boring drone videos that only other drone pilots would want to watch. To me a few seconds here and there to tell more of the story or to set up for a transition is all that's really needed. Also, living in FL, they are invaluable for boat and ocean footage when it is needed.

The top dial has two positions....one dedicated for video the rest are different photography modes and custom modes. I have all of my video menu items set up under the top dial position that has the video icon and the M next to it (right after S&Q). For photography, I use the icon that has the M for manual exposure. Panasonic calls that dial position with the video symbol the "Creative Video" mode and the camera automatically configures the screen for the most useful video settings which is why I use that dial position for video. If you go into the menu > Gear icon > First page > "CreativeVideo Combined Set" you can configure which features display just in the Creative Video dial position and what is shared with the P/A/S/M modes. The Sound Meter should be one of the options there but it is not.
I never use custom modes, I prefer instead to set up a custom menu and put my commonly changing settings in there; I would run out of custom modes if I tried to have one for each configuration, also, after putting the S5 in a cage, it is more difficult to quickly access the mode dial vs pushing the menu button especially when it is on a gimbal.
In my custom menu for video/photography I have the following items (in order)
Rec Quality - to change the frame rate WFM/Vector Scope - The WFM is so large that I frequently turn it on to check exposure then turn it off to shoot the scene Image area of Video - I actually don't use this like I thought I would but its still there Photo Style - I've never changed this either it's always set to V-Log Zebra Pattern - I don't use this either, the WFM is way better Frame Marker - This is a really cool feature that I plan on using at some point to check my composition for vertical videos and if I ever use it for photography I will use the frame markers to properly compose in a 4:5 aspect ratio XLR Adapter Setting - Haven't had to change this yet but I don't want to hunt through the menu either if I need to adjust something there Sound Rec Level Adj - Haven't had to change this yet either but if I am not using an XLR mic and just a regular mic I need to be able to adjust the level quickly Headphone Volume - It stays at level 8 and is still hard to hear when monitoring audio (could be I need lower impedance headphones) Ex Tele Conv - I used to use this all the time with the GH5 to simulate a longer lens....but its not as useful with the S5 because at 60FPS there's already a crop and the feature gets disabled Luminance Spot Meter - I plan on using this one day when I have enough time to use a grey card but it hasn't happened yet I probably need to go back in and remove Photo Style, Image Area of Video, and Zebra Pattern. I also need to instead add the Sound Meter since I haven't found a way to get it to disable when in Photography mode.
I might write Panasonic with a feature request to add the Sound Meter to the "CreativeVideo Combined Set" feature. Another thing that would be nice is if it had a feature like the S1H to filter all of the different rec modes. I only ever use 4K60FPS 10bit 4:2:0 and 4K 30FPS 10bit 4:2:2, it would be nice if I could get just those two options to display when selecting the rec mode. Instead I have to spend a few extra seconds making sure I picked the right version of each when switching modes (i.e. 4:2:0, 8bit, 10bit, etc). 

I now have my Panasonic S5 rigged to meet every type of project that I shoot and I know how much time it can take to get your gear rigged up in a way that works for you so I figured I'd share my setup in case someone else is looking for ideas. Every rig is kept as simple as possible, I can go from one rig to another within less than a minute and none of the rigs require tools to put together or take apart. Also, all of my handles, lenses, rails, tripod plates, audio equipment, and even the V Mount battery is interchangeable with my Canon C200 which is what I wanted for simplicity.
For each set up I provide a parts list and what I use that setup for.
All Setups - Parts
SmallRig Cage for Panasonic S5 Camera 2983
SMALLRIG Quick Release NATO Rail 1.6
Sigma MC-21 EF-Mount to L-Mount Adapter
Andoer Rapid Connect Adapter with Quick Release Sliding Plate
Setup 1 - This is my setup for when I am shooting video only and have the talent wired for audio via a wireless lav mic or a wireless microphone. The extra weight makes handholding easy and I can rest the back on my shoulder or chest for short interview type work. I also shoot content for some YouTube influencer's channels and this setup lets me shoot hand held while capturing their lav audio. With this setup I think I can shoot for about 10hrs without running out of battery life
Equipment
Canon EF 24mm-105mm F4
Panasonic DMW-XLR1 XLR Adapter
Sennheiser G4 receiver
Sennheiser to XLR cable
SMALLRIG Aluminum Side Handle with NATO Clamp
SMALLRIG Tripod Mounting Kit with 2x plates and 2x 15mm Rod Clamps
SMALLRIG 16 Inch Rods x 2
Bebob Factory GmbH COCO-15V III V Mount Battery Plate
V150 Bebob Battery
USB A to USB C cable
2 x Andoer Rapid Connect Adapters

Setup 2 - Same equipment as setup 1 but with the addition of a Manfrotto Video Tripod which also has an Andoer Rapid Connect Receiver plate mounted on it. In the picture I show how I can slide the S5 off of the rails and slide the C200 onto the rails within seconds.
Setup 3 - This is my long form event setup. If I just need a static camera and natural audio this would be my setup. Although I show an external monitor here, I don't actually use one but I showed it anyway in case someone wanted to see where a monitor could go.
Equipment
SMALLRIG HTN2362 Rotating NATO Clamp Handle
SMALLRIG Aluminum Side Handle with NATO Clamp
SMALLRIG Tripod Mounting Kit with 2x plates and 2x 15mm Rod Clamps
SMALLRIG 16 Inch Rods x 2
Bebob Factory GmbH COCO-15V III V Mount Battery Plate
V150 Bebob Battery
USB A to USB C cable
2 x Andoer Rapid Connect Adapters
Video Tripod
Setup 4 - Same equipment as Setup 3 but without the tripod. This is my handheld setup when I am shooting video only and do not need high quality XLR audio. 
Setup 5 - This is my handheld hybrid shoot setup when everything gets crazy and I am shooting a mixture of video and photos and will not use the onset audio at all.
Equipment
SMALLRIG HTN2362 Rotating NATO Clamp Handle
SMALLRIG Aluminum Side Handle with NATO Clamp
Setup 6 - Same setup as 5 but on a monopod. I use the top handle for additional stability and additional points of contact. I also can use the monopod as a light glidecam if I need a little forward or backward movement.
Setup 7 - This is my gimbal setup for everything from real estate to music videos. 
Equipment
Canon EF 24mm F2.8
Ronin S with Inverted Handle Sling Grip

 

I recently picked up the Autel EVO II Pro 6K after having flown nothing but DJI drones since 2014. DJI's geofencing system kept becoming increasingly intrusive until 2wks ago when it suddenly thought my Mavic Pro was in a no fly zone and force landed it into the ocean.  I had never even heard of Autel before this incident but after the incident I never want to own another DJI drone so after a lot of research I ended up buying the Autel EVO II 6K.

THE BAD
  Most of the things on this list really aren't that bad, in fact if it weren't for DJI the Autel would far exceed my expectations. But after using DJI drones for so long its pretty apparent that Autel is about 2yrs behind DJI when it comes to their drone's maturity.
 
Tablet Holder - This problem hit me before ever even taking off. There are no good tablet holder options. One option doesn't fold at all so it doesn't fit in any of the current rugged cases and the other option does not hold an iPad mini which I found out the hard way. I ended up with the GPC tablet holder but had to make some serious modifications to hold my iPad mini. The GPC mount also feels really flimsy where it attaches to the holder.
The App - The app is nowhere near as good as DJI's app; the worst part about it is when you run it on a tablet it will not use the full screen so a lot of screen real estate is wasted as if they never thought people would want to use anything except their phones. Besides the scaling issue, it can be difficult to get the camera information quickly. In the DJI app you can always see things like frame rate, EV, resolution, etc. at a glance; with the Autel App you have to scroll around quite a bit to see all of your settings.
Obstacle Avoidance - Obstacle avoidance feels like it is way too sensitive; a few times in the middle of the air with nothing around it it kicked in and slowed the drone. Also, when flying lower to the ground it was a real pain to deal with and seems overly cautious. I know it can be turned off but it would be nice if it had a lower sensitivity setting.
Lens Flare - The 6K version of the camera suffers from really bad lens flare at certain angles to the sun. Of course all lenses have lens flare under certain conditions but the way the 6K camera handles it is not good. The flare was very uncomplimentary and pretty much made that particular angle in relation to the sun unusable for professional work. I never had that kind of lens flare problem with the DJI drones.
No One Button Ludicrous Mode - With the DJI drones I use Sport Mode all the time to return quickly after completing a project or if there is a strong headwind or cross wind I use it to improve the handling of the drone for the return flight after filming. The Autel remote does not have a dedicated button for this and you could lose valuable seconds in a strong headwind scenario having to go into the app to enable ludicrous mode.
Controller Battery Life - The remote's battery life so far seems worse than the Mavic's probably because of the display screen. This could still be because the batteries haven't fully broken in yet, but I noticed just updating the firmware made it drop by 20% and a single flight cost around 15% of the controller's battery life.
Custom Color Profiles Don't Save - I plan on shooting exclusively in LOG and also like to turn sharpness down to -2 and contrast down to -1, but the app does not save the settings. So now I have to remember to set the settings each time and lose battery life while doing so.
Company Size - Autel is tiny compared to DJI; I read somewhere that DJI literally has hundreds of scientists in their R&D department. Autel feels like they have maybe 10 on a good day. So due to their size I feel like new developments are going to happen much slower, and customer service will be difficult at best, and that's assuming they even manage to stay in business.
 
THE GOOD
 
No Geofencing - Without a doubt my favorite 'feature' by far. It was a relief just knowing there was no chance geofencing could kick in during the flight and risk downing the drone.
Range Test - While the range was acceptable it was not exceptional. This was a little disappointing; I have taken every drone since 2014 that I have owned to the same park and performed the same tests over the years so I know for a fact that the EVO II started dropping its video signal at the exact same range as the DJI drones; and yes I pointed the controller in the direction of the drone and I had the antennas pointed down.
Straight Line Test - One of the tests that I do is position the drone exactly aligned with railroad tracks and see how long the drone can fly in a straight line over the railroad tracks before it drifts off course. I have the center cross hairs turned on for this test. The EVO II performed better on this test than any DJI drone I have ever tested this way. DJI drones tend to turn slowly left without constant slight correction during forward flight.
Orbit Test - Orbiting is one of my favorite drone movements so I always see how a drone performs during orbits. With the center cross hairs turned on I orbit clockwise and counter clockwise around an object. Once again the EVO II straight out of the box with no tuning performed flawlessly. Orbits in particular require very precise control input and the drone must adhere to the input without drifting to perform a smooth orbit which is why I like this test.
Camera Angle Feedback - I have wished DJI would add this feature since 2014...I even emailed it as a feature request to DJI and of course got no response. It is nice to see the camera angle shown in the app. There are plenty of times when you want to mirror a specific camera angle such as if you were filming something and had to land to change the batteries then took off again and want the footage to look like a single take; or when you are creating progression construction photography and want each visit to the site to look identical to the last visit.
Overall Handling - Many YouTube reviewers stated that the EVO II does not handle as well as the DJI drones; I don't feel that way at all, straight out of the box settings feel very smooth to me, the only thing I am going to do is turn down the gimbal tilt speed which is the same thing I did with the DJI drones.
ALOG - The EVO II's ALOG is way better than anything I have seen come out of DLOG. DJI in my opinion is overly aggressive with their LOG profile and they tend to throw away data that cannot be recovered. Autel's ALOG was a joy to color grade; it took seconds in Davinci Resolve to grade it to the Rec.709 standard.
Highlight Rolloff - So many people get caught up in dynamic range and low light performance; few people discuss highlight rolloff. A camera can have great low light performance and dynamic range but terrible highlight rolloff and the image will be unrecoverable when the highlights are over exposed. The EVO II 6K camera has great highlight rolloff from what I can tell so far.
Camera Settings Buttons - This is a nice feature that the DJI drones don't have; I was able to change all of the camera settings without having to touch the tablet screen.
Flight Time - Flight time was ok, it did not seem any longer than the DJI drones though; its supposed to be 40min but that must be when it is just sitting on the ground with the blades spinning because just getting it into the air and my remaining time dropped to 33min. The batteries will probably perform better after a few charging cycles but for now its nowhere near 40min. This really isn't a bad thing though, 30 useable min is still plenty to me.
Initial Setup - DJI's initial setup where it demands your email address and account information always irked me. I felt like they were demanding far more information than should be needed just to fly the drone. The EVO II's setup was much less invasive although it would be nice to know exactly what information is sent during the "Activation" portion of the setup but I was surprised that it did not even ask for an email address.
Battery Temperature Recovery Time - The EVO II's batteries do not seem to make you wait until they cool down to start recharging. This was always a major annoyance with DJI; you had to wait sometimes up to 2hrs just to start recharging their batteries starting with the P4, so mobile charging was impossible.

WISH LIST
WFM - Its always annoying to me when camera makers add a LOG profile but leave out the waveform monitor which is the number one tool you need to expose for LOG footage. It would be nice if they would add a WFM option. In lieu of a WFM I used the histogram to set exposure and its ok but nowhere near as useful as a WFM for LOG footage
Monitoring LUT - Another tool I wish they would add when shooting in LOG. A Rec.709 monitoring LUT would be great to improve visibility. The good news is that the ALOG footage is nowhere near as flat as DJI's DLOG so it is not as hard to monitor even without a monitoring LUT.
Better Remote - the current remote just feels really odd in the hands; the ergonomics aren't great and the handles feel like they are going to close at any moment. Also the remote has no way to attach a lanyard, the P4's remote is still my favorite to date (built in tablet holder and lanyard loop). I know this is meant to be smaller but I still think there's room for improvement here. Lets not forget those terrible buttons on the underside, they are so easy to push that its best to just not assign anything to them. I wish I could disable them completely because the remote still beeps when one is pressed.
Different Color - The orange is pretty hard to get used to.
Altitude Limit - The altitude limit is set to a generous 2600' or so but it would be nice if there were none at all. Prior to the pandemic I travelled outside of the USA quite a bit and frequently took a drone with me; when you are going up a mountainside with a drone it records how high you are from your takeoff point not based on AGL, so I ran into a few situations with DJI drones where it refused to go any higher because it thought it was 1500' AGL when it fact it was only a few hundred feet above the mountainside. Even stateside the FAA lets you go above 400' when you are close enough to something higher than that in certain airspace.
Controller Charging Interface - Getting brand new consumer products that still use the old USB standard are just annoying at this point. As consumers we will never be able to get rid of our old chargers and standardize on USB-C if we keep getting brand new products that don't have USB-C ports. So it would be nice if the charging interface were USB-C.
OTHER

This is just general information that I'm finding out on my own as I use the EVO II. These are things that either are impossible to find in the documentation or that aren't documented at all.
 
Crop Factor - It appears the EVO II 6K has a crop when shooting 4K60FPS, I'd estimate the crop factor to be around 1.2x or 1.3x so not much of a crop but it definitely looks like a crop when you go from 4K30FPS to 4K60FPS.
10bit vs 8bit - The 4K60FPS HEVC H.265 footage is only 8bit 4:2:0 footage where as the 4K30FPS HEVC H.265 footage is indeed 10bit 4:2:0 footage, I'm not sure what 1080P is or if changing to the MP4 container or H.264 will matter.

THE VERDICT

As long as the EVO II continues to perform exactly as it did during its test flights so far then I am happy with my purchase; once again because the completely oppressive geofencing system is gone. I am sure Autel will continue improving the app and the drone and as long as the drone does not do something that is completely beyond my control then it could easily become my main drone in the future. I haven't tried 6K yet and don't expect much since the sensor is so small, but the 4K30FPS and 4K60FPS that I have seen so far more than meets my needs. Is anyone else using the EVO II 6k and if so what is your experience so far?

I think as others have stated...maybe its not the 24FPS that is the problem its the content creators not putting in the additional work needed to make it work. I think because 24FPS is at the edge of what we perceive as smooth motion, if the shutter speed is not right, if the panning is too fast, if the clip was not properly conformed to the timeline, if it was shot at a higher framerate and not slowed down by the proper percentage...etc. it will appear to stutter more so than 30FPS.
30FPS give you 6 or 8 more frames to screw up before it stutters, and the math is simpler when shooting at 60FPS then slowing the footage down by 50%. Just my opinion but I still think all of the extra work needed to ensure 24FPS looks good in the final product simply isn't worth the motion blur that I think most people won't notice anyway when it comes to YouTube / Vimeo content. Hollywood, high paying commercial work, etc. has the budgets to justify the extra time/attention/work needed to put it all together but I know in my own case; not one of my clients has ever said the final project didn't have the motion blur that they expected. Maybe if I had the chance to work on more "cinematic" or "creative" projects I would feel differently but for the work I do (fashion, modeling, events, real estate, music videos, weddings, etc) 30FPS is the better fit.

I shoot nearly exclusively hand held, on a gimbal, or on a monopod; I hardly ever use a tripod. The flip out screen is so useful it was the sole reason I did not seriously consider the S1 when it came out; I had gotten too used to the GH5's flip out screen. I have the Ronin S gimbal and for low shots it is a lifesaver, handheld is even better and even on a monopod when you are crammed into a corner somewhere and have to raise the camera above the crowd the flip out screen is great then too.
I never use an external monitor for any of my cameras except the C200 when it is locked down on a tripod; all I use are the tools on the S5's screen to pull focus, check exposure, WB, etc. and while not ideal, it gets the job done for me.
When the camera is on a gimbal the flip out screen is so light it doesn't affect it at all. I just balance it like normal with the screen not flipped out, then flip it out as needed during the shoot; it probably helps though that the Ronin S can carry far more weight than the S5.
 
 

I know this is probably very controversial, but I ask myself this question every time I see a video shot in the USA at 24FPS instead of 30FPS; why did they do that? I am mainly talking about the USA because I know overseas there is PAL and 50Hz refresh rates and some other things involved in that formatting which I know nothing about. I will assume that if my TV was set to PAL and the frame rate was 25FPS it would look the same to my eyes as my TV set to NTSC and the frame rate set to 30FPS.  So back to shooting at 24FPS  or 23.97FPS in the USA...I just don't get it; I have never seen 24FPS footage (that I am aware of) anywhere other than Hollywood that does not look like its is stuttering badly at 24FPS. If there is no motion, or its a talking head, then sure I can't tell the difference; but most of the time the footage looks great....except it is stuttering along due to the frame rate when there is fast motion.
To me and the TVs and monitors that I use to view YouTube and online content, I can almost always tell when its not 30FPS and there's nothing "cinematic" about it. I even researched the history of frame rates and I know they started out that way to save  tape media, but those days are long gone. Motion simply isn't smooth if it is not shot at 29.97FPS (30FPS) in my opinion. Somehow Hollywood gets away with it, maybe its their post processing, their camera equipment, etc. but every other footage at that frame rate is just a stuttering mess to me if its fast action or a lot of things change between frames. I have also watched a lot of videos on frame rates and they describe the problems that occur when you shoot in 59.97FPS then try to slow the footage down to 50% on a 24FPS timeline....let alone to 23.97FPS. 
Even with Hollywood, playing a movie straight from a DVD, there's been scenes that were hard for me to watch because the frames appeared to be stuttering. So am I the only one that thinks this way? Is it something with H.265/H.264, YouTube compression, LongGOP compression, bitrates, or something else that makes 24FPS look so terrible most of the time when motion is involved?

I'm a hybrid shooter but I'm not going anywhere near it either and not just because it is Sony. You could literally get a great stills camera AND a great video focused camera for the price of this one. I think this camera is literally targeted at the hybrid sports shooter if such a thing exists.  I'm with you, I think the quest for the perfect hybrid camera might be overrated and dedicated video cameras are more realistic.
Personally I'm starting to give up on the idea of a hybrid camera. I keep thinking that a hybrid camera would make my life easier on a hybrid shoot (less gear to carry) but then when I'm on a shoot there's so many differences between the photography portion of the shoot and the video portion (lighting / audio / camera settings / movement / etc) that I feel like I will always need two camera bodies. Even when it comes to the body, for photography I need a remote flash trigger attached and a battery grip with a vertical shutter release button so that I can shoot portraits, for video I need an audio module attached and can't use a battery grip because of the camera cage.

Truly and without a doubt the best camera demo video I have ever seen.  Sony may have finally figured out that having random YouTubers who call themselves cinematographers shoot demo cat video footage with their flagship cameras wasn't doing them any justice. I hope they do a BTS on the making of this video, I'd love to see how much rigging was needed. I remember the C300III BTS, they used about $200K worth of rigging and a full production team for their demo video and it didn't come close to comparing to this.

Welcome back...its' been awhile. I pretty much posted all of my thoughts on the R6 on the following thread, which is here: 
 And I ended up with the Panasonic S5 which is perfect for my uses in every way (except AF of course) so this thread may be useful as well:
 
 

Truly and without a doubt the best camera demo video I have ever seen.  Sony may have finally figured out that having random YouTubers who call themselves cinematographers shoot demo cat video footage with their flagship cameras wasn't doing them any justice. I hope they do a BTS on the making of this video, I'd love to see how much rigging was needed. I remember the C300III BTS, they used about $200K worth of rigging and a full production team for their demo video and it didn't come close to comparing to this.

Truly and without a doubt the best camera demo video I have ever seen.  Sony may have finally figured out that having random YouTubers who call themselves cinematographers shoot demo cat video footage with their flagship cameras wasn't doing them any justice. I hope they do a BTS on the making of this video, I'd love to see how much rigging was needed. I remember the C300III BTS, they used about $200K worth of rigging and a full production team for their demo video and it didn't come close to comparing to this.

I don't think so, Canon is already working on the R1; this is in the 1DXIII price territory so its not a direct competitor to the R5, the A7SIII is more of a competitor to the R5. The R1 will be Canon's answer to this camera both in price and functionality.
I thought the exact same thing...except the MFT part. Panasonic is dependent on Sony for their sensors, so if they are able to use this sensor in a next gen S1H (and change their AF system).......oh never mind who am I kidding, Panasonic will never change their AF system; but anyway if they were to make a S1H II with this sensor that would be interesting...but probably at least $5500