herein2020

I agree with @zerocool22 the S5 and S1H have identical sensors, LOG profiles, etc. I highly doubt in most scenarios you would be able to tell the difference. I think the reason you think the S1H is a lot better is because it is more likely that the buyers of the S1H are shooting higher end productions where they can properly light the scene, use better lenses, etc. Unless the S1H is shooting 5.9K raw (which BTW even the S5 can do now to an external recorder), the S5 and the S1H should produce nearly identical footage if all else is equal (lighting, staging, set design, lens, etc.). 
Of course the S1H is the better video tool due to not having recording limits, full size HDMI port, and other minor HW details; but none of that really affects the picture quality. In my opinion though, the S5 really shines as a hybrid photo/video camera which is definitely not something the S1H is known for. I don't know if any other camera out there can remotely control 4 wireless flashes using an internal transmitter, unlimited intervalometer, aspect ratio bars in camera, and some of the other S5 photography features that almost no one talks about.
With the upcoming firmware update for the S1, I do think it will then become the best hybrid camera mainly due to the 1/320s flash sync speed and the full size HDMI port. Unfortunately though in my opinion the downsides to the S1 is it uses mismatched recording media, and the screen is not a full tilt flip.....however none of these features means the S1 or the S1H will produce more "cinematic" video than the S5.

I agree with @zerocool22 the S5 and S1H have identical sensors, LOG profiles, etc. I highly doubt in most scenarios you would be able to tell the difference. I think the reason you think the S1H is a lot better is because it is more likely that the buyers of the S1H are shooting higher end productions where they can properly light the scene, use better lenses, etc. Unless the S1H is shooting 5.9K raw (which BTW even the S5 can do now to an external recorder), the S5 and the S1H should produce nearly identical footage if all else is equal (lighting, staging, set design, lens, etc.). 
Of course the S1H is the better video tool due to not having recording limits, full size HDMI port, and other minor HW details; but none of that really affects the picture quality. In my opinion though, the S5 really shines as a hybrid photo/video camera which is definitely not something the S1H is known for. I don't know if any other camera out there can remotely control 4 wireless flashes using an internal transmitter, unlimited intervalometer, aspect ratio bars in camera, and some of the other S5 photography features that almost no one talks about.
With the upcoming firmware update for the S1, I do think it will then become the best hybrid camera mainly due to the 1/320s flash sync speed and the full size HDMI port. Unfortunately though in my opinion the downsides to the S1 is it uses mismatched recording media, and the screen is not a full tilt flip.....however none of these features means the S1 or the S1H will produce more "cinematic" video than the S5.

I agree with @zerocool22 the S5 and S1H have identical sensors, LOG profiles, etc. I highly doubt in most scenarios you would be able to tell the difference. I think the reason you think the S1H is a lot better is because it is more likely that the buyers of the S1H are shooting higher end productions where they can properly light the scene, use better lenses, etc. Unless the S1H is shooting 5.9K raw (which BTW even the S5 can do now to an external recorder), the S5 and the S1H should produce nearly identical footage if all else is equal (lighting, staging, set design, lens, etc.). 
Of course the S1H is the better video tool due to not having recording limits, full size HDMI port, and other minor HW details; but none of that really affects the picture quality. In my opinion though, the S5 really shines as a hybrid photo/video camera which is definitely not something the S1H is known for. I don't know if any other camera out there can remotely control 4 wireless flashes using an internal transmitter, unlimited intervalometer, aspect ratio bars in camera, and some of the other S5 photography features that almost no one talks about.
With the upcoming firmware update for the S1, I do think it will then become the best hybrid camera mainly due to the 1/320s flash sync speed and the full size HDMI port. Unfortunately though in my opinion the downsides to the S1 is it uses mismatched recording media, and the screen is not a full tilt flip.....however none of these features means the S1 or the S1H will produce more "cinematic" video than the S5.

Typically the parents do. Especially right now the parents aren't paying the talent agencies, the runway show fees, the travel fees to get to the runway shows, the acting classes etc.  since it is all shut down in most parts of the country; and a lot of models are trying to go the YouTube / Instagram route so business is pretty good for me right now.
The musician situation is why I don't shoot many music videos; too much work for what is typically next to no budget. Sorry, you just can't get a car, mansion, and a private helicopter in your music video with a $500 budget. There's still niches where money can be made if you are in the right area at the right time but the hard part is finding them.
Another big one right now is livestreaming and recording smaller versions of events for companies and a lot of companies in my area are updating their websites with more photography and more video to try to reach their customers who are shopping/researching remotely; so business in those areas is also doing pretty good for now.

Typically the parents do. Especially right now the parents aren't paying the talent agencies, the runway show fees, the travel fees to get to the runway shows, the acting classes etc.  since it is all shut down in most parts of the country; and a lot of models are trying to go the YouTube / Instagram route so business is pretty good for me right now.
The musician situation is why I don't shoot many music videos; too much work for what is typically next to no budget. Sorry, you just can't get a car, mansion, and a private helicopter in your music video with a $500 budget. There's still niches where money can be made if you are in the right area at the right time but the hard part is finding them.
Another big one right now is livestreaming and recording smaller versions of events for companies and a lot of companies in my area are updating their websites with more photography and more video to try to reach their customers who are shopping/researching remotely; so business in those areas is also doing pretty good for now.

Thanks, I guess I wasn't waiting long enough, I tend to hit Enter the second I post a link.
 
Here are two recent videos shot with the S5. The images in the videos are taken with a Canon 5DIV. All natural light only for the video portions.  The audio is using the XLR module via the lav mic. I have found that the XLR adapter seems to be a bit more problematic with the S5 than it was with the GH5 especially getting it to work with the Sennheiser wireless kit. I once had to restart the camera to get the audio to start working after turning on the Sennheisers and I had to disable ALC in the camera because it kept shutting off the XLR input even though the audio was not peaking.
As far as film look vs looking too digital, I don't really focus on things like that, I feel like on a cell phone which is where most of my videos get watched, the audience just couldn't care less so I can't let myself try to achieve things that my audience won't pay more for. I do miss my GH5 MFT Voigtlanders though, they had this look that was way more pleasing to me than I've been able to get out of the Canon and Sigma lenses. I just picked up some ProMist filters that I'm going to try out on my next daytime shoot; if Voigtlander made L mount or EF mount lenses I definitely would consider getting a set. Which does bring me to my last point which is I don't think it is the sensors which make the image look too "digital", I think the lenses have a lot to do with it as well and no matter how much post processing you do, if you start with a difficult sensor/lens combination it's never going to look as good as if you had a lens that got you 90% of the way there in camera.
 
 
 
 

Thank all for the positiv feedback.
In this clip i made a try to get away from the digital look..
 
  

Nice work.
My only question is: Models got money for video? I thought models would fall just south of local musicians when it comes to resources available for self promotion...

Modeling work is big in my area in Florida, nearly an endless supply; I shoot fashion shows, runway shows, model promos, designer promos, branding shoots, etc. nearly year around in between real estate, corporate work, and other types of events and in addition to all of the video work I also offer a wide variety of photography which is why I love the S5. When I set up my kit I need to be able to shoot just about anything and for now my S5 and Canon 5DIV together can get just about any job done. Who knows, one day it might just be two S5's, but for now I still rely heavily on my 5DIV for photography.
I would love to move to more artistic type shooting such as creative shorts like some of the really cool projects that have been posted here, but unfortunately they don't pay the bills in my area.

Thanks, I guess I wasn't waiting long enough, I tend to hit Enter the second I post a link.
 
Here are two recent videos shot with the S5. The images in the videos are taken with a Canon 5DIV. All natural light only for the video portions.  The audio is using the XLR module via the lav mic. I have found that the XLR adapter seems to be a bit more problematic with the S5 than it was with the GH5 especially getting it to work with the Sennheiser wireless kit. I once had to restart the camera to get the audio to start working after turning on the Sennheisers and I had to disable ALC in the camera because it kept shutting off the XLR input even though the audio was not peaking.
As far as film look vs looking too digital, I don't really focus on things like that, I feel like on a cell phone which is where most of my videos get watched, the audience just couldn't care less so I can't let myself try to achieve things that my audience won't pay more for. I do miss my GH5 MFT Voigtlanders though, they had this look that was way more pleasing to me than I've been able to get out of the Canon and Sigma lenses. I just picked up some ProMist filters that I'm going to try out on my next daytime shoot; if Voigtlander made L mount or EF mount lenses I definitely would consider getting a set. Which does bring me to my last point which is I don't think it is the sensors which make the image look too "digital", I think the lenses have a lot to do with it as well and no matter how much post processing you do, if you start with a difficult sensor/lens combination it's never going to look as good as if you had a lens that got you 90% of the way there in camera.
 
 
 
 

Modeling work is big in my area in Florida, nearly an endless supply; I shoot fashion shows, runway shows, model promos, designer promos, branding shoots, etc. nearly year around in between real estate, corporate work, and other types of events and in addition to all of the video work I also offer a wide variety of photography which is why I love the S5. When I set up my kit I need to be able to shoot just about anything and for now my S5 and Canon 5DIV together can get just about any job done. Who knows, one day it might just be two S5's, but for now I still rely heavily on my 5DIV for photography.
I would love to move to more artistic type shooting such as creative shorts like some of the really cool projects that have been posted here, but unfortunately they don't pay the bills in my area.

Thanks, I guess I wasn't waiting long enough, I tend to hit Enter the second I post a link.
 
Here are two recent videos shot with the S5. The images in the videos are taken with a Canon 5DIV. All natural light only for the video portions.  The audio is using the XLR module via the lav mic. I have found that the XLR adapter seems to be a bit more problematic with the S5 than it was with the GH5 especially getting it to work with the Sennheiser wireless kit. I once had to restart the camera to get the audio to start working after turning on the Sennheisers and I had to disable ALC in the camera because it kept shutting off the XLR input even though the audio was not peaking.
As far as film look vs looking too digital, I don't really focus on things like that, I feel like on a cell phone which is where most of my videos get watched, the audience just couldn't care less so I can't let myself try to achieve things that my audience won't pay more for. I do miss my GH5 MFT Voigtlanders though, they had this look that was way more pleasing to me than I've been able to get out of the Canon and Sigma lenses. I just picked up some ProMist filters that I'm going to try out on my next daytime shoot; if Voigtlander made L mount or EF mount lenses I definitely would consider getting a set. Which does bring me to my last point which is I don't think it is the sensors which make the image look too "digital", I think the lenses have a lot to do with it as well and no matter how much post processing you do, if you start with a difficult sensor/lens combination it's never going to look as good as if you had a lens that got you 90% of the way there in camera.
 
 
 
 

Thanks, I guess I wasn't waiting long enough, I tend to hit Enter the second I post a link.
 
Here are two recent videos shot with the S5. The images in the videos are taken with a Canon 5DIV. All natural light only for the video portions.  The audio is using the XLR module via the lav mic. I have found that the XLR adapter seems to be a bit more problematic with the S5 than it was with the GH5 especially getting it to work with the Sennheiser wireless kit. I once had to restart the camera to get the audio to start working after turning on the Sennheisers and I had to disable ALC in the camera because it kept shutting off the XLR input even though the audio was not peaking.
As far as film look vs looking too digital, I don't really focus on things like that, I feel like on a cell phone which is where most of my videos get watched, the audience just couldn't care less so I can't let myself try to achieve things that my audience won't pay more for. I do miss my GH5 MFT Voigtlanders though, they had this look that was way more pleasing to me than I've been able to get out of the Canon and Sigma lenses. I just picked up some ProMist filters that I'm going to try out on my next daytime shoot; if Voigtlander made L mount or EF mount lenses I definitely would consider getting a set. Which does bring me to my last point which is I don't think it is the sensors which make the image look too "digital", I think the lenses have a lot to do with it as well and no matter how much post processing you do, if you start with a difficult sensor/lens combination it's never going to look as good as if you had a lens that got you 90% of the way there in camera.
 
 
 
 

I shoot a lot of events and work on a wide variety of projects especially ones where the subject is moving so I can't afford to monitor in BW. My favorite focusing system of all time is the Canon system with the 3 triangles; it is such a fantastic way to know without question when something is in focus. I know Canon patented their system, but you would think other vendors could come up with something better than colored dots that are impossible to see 95% of the time.
I punch in to check focus too but it doesn't do you any good if the subject or camera moved afterwards, especially since you can't punch in again while recording. There is just no easy answer. My answer is to shoot with a wider lens when I'm on a gimbal (24mm) and to shoot with the highest F stop I can get away with F8 and higher. Indoors of course is even harder but the wide angle lens helps. For crazy shallow DOF shots I carefully stage everything and try to keep the camera pretty static while the subject moves slightly, but those shots are more planned out than say an event.

That was what I was alluding to in regards to the hours of research. I have had every incompatibility imaginable; cases that blocked critical slots, power supplies missing the proper connector to power the video card, memory that was simply the wrong kind (and memory almost always is not returnable), CPU coolers that would not fit the motherboard, motherboard risers that got stripped while screwing them into the mounting board, BIOS's that refused to see the hard drive, BIOS's that refused to see the add in video card, RAID controllers that would do everything you could imagine except let you boot from any drives connected to them, etc. etc.  
To me adding storage, a video card, and NVME quad port card is a piece of cake compared to dealing with the rest of it. Even for non video editing computers, I no longer build any of them. I just get used enterprise class gear off of eBay. You can get great deals on high end used desktops at the 3yr mark on eBay because that's when many business leases end. And I'll take a 3yr old enterprise class desktop/laptop/networking equipment any day over brand new consumer grade hardware.
 
 
I actually know a photographer that still uses a 5DIII for photography and the best part is....its the only camera she has ever owned (7yrs)....and she has a single lens which she has never removed from the camera since the day she got it (Canon 50mm). She also has never owned a single flash and when we started talking gear she didn't know the difference between an EF mount lens and an RF mount. She is actually a well known photographer in my area and charges over $300/hr for sessions; AND she is booked for weeks straight. It all seemed crazy to me but she is very friendly, great with families and posing kids, and that is all she does.  She literally knows nothing about flashes, gear, diffusion, etc, and shoots 100% natural light, yet she has managed to become a successful photographer in my area; and for post processing she uses a single Lightroom preset which is her signature "look". Meeting her really reminded me that you can make nearly anything work these days and the gear is only a small piece of the big picture.

That was what I was alluding to in regards to the hours of research. I have had every incompatibility imaginable; cases that blocked critical slots, power supplies missing the proper connector to power the video card, memory that was simply the wrong kind (and memory almost always is not returnable), CPU coolers that would not fit the motherboard, motherboard risers that got stripped while screwing them into the mounting board, BIOS's that refused to see the hard drive, BIOS's that refused to see the add in video card, RAID controllers that would do everything you could imagine except let you boot from any drives connected to them, etc. etc.  
To me adding storage, a video card, and NVME quad port card is a piece of cake compared to dealing with the rest of it. Even for non video editing computers, I no longer build any of them. I just get used enterprise class gear off of eBay. You can get great deals on high end used desktops at the 3yr mark on eBay because that's when many business leases end. And I'll take a 3yr old enterprise class desktop/laptop/networking equipment any day over brand new consumer grade hardware.
 
 
I actually know a photographer that still uses a 5DIII for photography and the best part is....its the only camera she has ever owned (7yrs)....and she has a single lens which she has never removed from the camera since the day she got it (Canon 50mm). She also has never owned a single flash and when we started talking gear she didn't know the difference between an EF mount lens and an RF mount. She is actually a well known photographer in my area and charges over $300/hr for sessions; AND she is booked for weeks straight. It all seemed crazy to me but she is very friendly, great with families and posing kids, and that is all she does.  She literally knows nothing about flashes, gear, diffusion, etc, and shoots 100% natural light, yet she has managed to become a successful photographer in my area; and for post processing she uses a single Lightroom preset which is her signature "look". Meeting her really reminded me that you can make nearly anything work these days and the gear is only a small piece of the big picture.

The other challenge that @herein2020 was avoiding was that of incompatibility.
My dad used to work for a large educational institution and ordered a custom built PC to replace their main file server, so naturally ordered the latest motherboard, CPU, RAM, RAID controller and drives.   Long story short, two months after getting it he still hadn't managed to get an OS to install correctly, and neither had the other people on the hundred-page thread talking about the incompatibility, in which multiple people verified that the manufacturers of various components were all blaming each other for the problem and no-one was working on a solution, so my dad did what everyone else in the thread did and gave up.  He was lucky enough to be able to lean on their wholesaler to take the equipment back with a full refund, but others weren't so lucky, and the thread continued for another year as various people swapped out parts for other models/brands to see what the best fully-functional system was.
Or you just buy something that someone else has already checked for you.
There's a reason that many serious software packages are only supported on certain OS versions and certain hardware configurations.  It's because their clients value reliability and full-featured service and support rather than getting a 12% improvement on performance.

I bet if I did a deep dive I could absolutely get a better bang for my buck system than HP can do! 
HP isn't perfect. They're not optimizing for the same things as I am optimizing for, neither could they stay up to the minute like a proper computer nerd can. 

But what do I value my time at for all that researching? Even if only a minimum wage, I could quickly earn the money to have a better system than all that time might have "saved" me in squeezing out my dollars to go further!

Getting older and realizing this has made me become a bit less judgmental when I for instance see a person filming with a 5Dmk4 (wtf?!), sure there are many many better cameras for less. But this person might for instance have built a great business on the back of the 5Dmk2 (which was an ok choice at the time, even a "good choice") and then the 5Dmk3 (still an "ok-ish choice" for its time) and just is doing what is in their mind a "natural progression" to the 5Dmk4. They might have spent only a single afternoon researching that decision, if that. And have done exactly zero to keep up with the latest trends in between that 5Dmk3 and mk4 purchase. So what if the GH5 / a7Smk2 / NX1 / X-H1 / etc exist, for the amount of time it would cost him to properly research it, figure out, and decide on "something else" as the "better choice" he could have purchased TWO Canon 5Dmk4! And heck, that's not even counting the hassle and time it costs to swap over his lens collection to another lens mount... he could have bought 3x or even 4x 5Dmk4 by then! From a practical point it just doesn't make financial sense to do the deep dive and go with a different camera system. Sad by true. 
(this isn't even factoring in non-film considerations, what if he's a primarily a photographer? And only 10% of his income is videography. You don't always know everyone's particular circumstances)

This same "logic" behind buying the 5Dmk4, is why many people will also be buying the a7Smk3. 
So even though over in the other thread I ranted against those who buy the a7Smk3 because of its poor value for money, I also totally understand those who do buy it. 
Tonnes of people started out on say a NEX-5N, then got the a7Smk1 and made a good living with it, and then the a7Smk2 and be using it professionally day in day out without another thought about camera nerdy specs. Getting the a7Smk3 next is just an easy "no brainer" for them that they don't even have to think about. (although honestly, I'd say the FX6 should be their pick...)
  
My Ryzen 5 Mini PC is quite quiet!
I've known HMI ballasts to be noisier. 
But still, it isn't totally 100% quiet, think it might be borderline inappropriate for me to use it in a Sound Cart build because you can still just barely hear it in a very quiet background. And we in the Sound Department need to be setting high standards!

That makes sense, most of my work is fast turnaround time sensitive footage like events, music videos, fashion shows, modeling videos, virtual tours, seasonal videos, small business promo video work, etc.  I'm known for fast turnarounds which helps me stand out in my area. I love shooting all day then finishing the edit that night while the experience and events of the day are still fresh on my mind. I typically shoot the full day's event or project, edit all night until I complete the rough edit (usually around 4AM the next morning), sleep for a few hours, then do the color grading, titles, fix the rough edges, etc.  There is no way I could do that waiting for proxies for every clip.
 
I definitely think its incredible how far PCs have come in such a short period of time and proxies let you use just about anything and still get editable footage, especially when it starts out highly compressed like H.264 and H.265.

I do agree, as someone who has actually built a few systems over the years, that doesn't sound like actually building a system up. You more or less got a fairly somewhat bare bones system, then threw in a few extra choice parts to super charge it up. 

To be fair, as I get older and value my limited time on the earth more highly, and as I grow more and more out of touch with the latest fine details of latest PC products, I too could see myself doing similar for a future PC "build". 

Just get a barebones build, then throw in the extra RAM / GPU / HDD / SSD that I source myself. As those things are easy easy to install yourself. 

Am actually right now using this very second a PC I completely bought from China:
 

You have to set render cache to User, Fusion Memory Cache to on, and ideally set a dedicated cache disk (SSD or faster) that is not used by the OS and that is not scanned by Anti-Virus. Even after doing all of that, you have to wait until the title is cached (red line above the title will turn blue) then you can finally playback in real-time. 
The other option is to not use Fusion titles and use regular titles instead. In the titles menu there are a few basic titles and the rest are Fusion titles. If you can get away with basic titles you can bypass all of the Fusion performance issues. Even better, create the title in something else as a png with transparency then add it as an overlay on the timeline; of course this rules out motion graphics but it is another way to workaround Fusion if you just need a simple title.
 
I did check out the Source Tape feature but my entire workflow is optimized around Windows Explorer, I have a source clips folder, I drag clips as I use them to a selected clips folder, and I only import the clip at the time I need it to the media pool where I set an in/out point and drag it to the timeline for editing. For me this makes things very easy and it is easy to see what I have already used and what media I still have to pick from.  Also, after a project is done, if I start running out of space in my archives I know I can delete all of the media in the source clips and discarded clips folders in Windows Explorer without affecting the finalized project. To use the Source Tape feature I'd need to just dump everything into the media pool.
 
I agree with you, its not meant to go much beyond the basics of editing. I do wish Blackmagic Design would focus more on improving Fusion than the Cut page. I think they are more focused on attracting PP and FCP users than they are in fixing the Fusion performance issues. Funny thing is, I think even PP and FCP users will be confused by the Cut page.

I think the Z4 was around $1600USD but it takes a lot of work to get it that low. HP charges ridiculous rates for their memory and addin NVME cards so I used a few tricks to end up with just the tower, CPU, memory and power supply, from there I sourced parts elsewhere, so I guess I did kind of still build it out.
- I always pick the Linux option when buying from HP so that I don't pay for Windows 10 since I already have a license
-I picked the cheapest SATA storage possible since I already had NVME sticks from my previous system
-I picked no add-in video card since I already had that
-No optical storage since I never use CDs or DVDs
-No keyboard or mouse
-The one thing I don't skimp on is the Power Supply, I got the 1000W version due to the video card and to power all of the internal storage
-etc etc, until it was almost barebones, I then called and managed to get a few more things removed and an additional discount over the phone. Many people don't know if you build a system on the Dell or HP website then save it, call them and ask for a discount then give them your build invoice a lot of times you can get up to 20% more off especially around the holidays, you can also get them to remove stuff you don't need like hard drives which the online system configurator won't let you do. You can also go to the outlet version of the online store and sometimes find good deals there on returns or canceled orders but when I got the Z4 it was too new to find any deals in the outlet store.
After getting the tower with 8GB of memory, no graphics, almost no storage, etc. I then got a 4 port NVME Dell PCIe controller card on eBay for $100.00 (HP wanted $1300.00 for only 2TB), 64GB of memory for $150 (HP wanted $1600.00!!), dual SSD drives, etc. I also got the RTX2080Ti used on NewEgg for around $700.00USD.
The main thing I've learned over the years is I don't want to deal with motherboards, picking out a tower, power supplies, and memory; these are usually the source of instability later on. HP's memory was so expensive that I went ahead and got that separate and even then I pulled the memory that it shipped with and used the part number to exactly match the vendor, bus speed, etc. online.

I think the total build to do it all over again today would be right around $3300.00USD.  I had a lot of the NVME and SSD storage from other systems, and the RTX3080 brand new is only $700 (if you can find one) which is better than my 2080Ti. I only buy/build a new system every 7-8yrs or so and so I saw it as a worthwhile investment. Since I use Davinci Resolve for video editing, I think my system is pretty much future proof, all I'll need to do is upgrade the video card again at some point once H.265 10bit 4.2.2 is supported on the chip. The system itself is rock solid stable, with enterprise class reliability which was my intent.
Another thing that a lot of people do not realize is how power can make their system unstable. I live in FL, the #1 place is the world for lightning strikes, so I have a line conditioner and two surge protectors between my system and the wall outlet. Slightly dirty power is the cause of so many system instability issues and people have no idea that's what's causing their problems; for a system that gets taxed like a video editing workstation I always recommend spending another $200USD or so for a good line conditioner and surge protector.
 
Yes, the CPU and video card is always the most expensive parts. I've never understood how motherboards can be so cheap; to my eyes they look way more expensive than the CPU let alone the video card. 

I think the Z4 was around $1600USD but it takes a lot of work to get it that low. HP charges ridiculous rates for their memory and addin NVME cards so I used a few tricks to end up with just the tower, CPU, memory and power supply, from there I sourced parts elsewhere, so I guess I did kind of still build it out.
- I always pick the Linux option when buying from HP so that I don't pay for Windows 10 since I already have a license
-I picked the cheapest SATA storage possible since I already had NVME sticks from my previous system
-I picked no add-in video card since I already had that
-No optical storage since I never use CDs or DVDs
-No keyboard or mouse
-The one thing I don't skimp on is the Power Supply, I got the 1000W version due to the video card and to power all of the internal storage
-etc etc, until it was almost barebones, I then called and managed to get a few more things removed and an additional discount over the phone. Many people don't know if you build a system on the Dell or HP website then save it, call them and ask for a discount then give them your build invoice a lot of times you can get up to 20% more off especially around the holidays, you can also get them to remove stuff you don't need like hard drives which the online system configurator won't let you do. You can also go to the outlet version of the online store and sometimes find good deals there on returns or canceled orders but when I got the Z4 it was too new to find any deals in the outlet store.
After getting the tower with 8GB of memory, no graphics, almost no storage, etc. I then got a 4 port NVME Dell PCIe controller card on eBay for $100.00 (HP wanted $1300.00 for only 2TB), 64GB of memory for $150 (HP wanted $1600.00!!), dual SSD drives, etc. I also got the RTX2080Ti used on NewEgg for around $700.00USD.
The main thing I've learned over the years is I don't want to deal with motherboards, picking out a tower, power supplies, and memory; these are usually the source of instability later on. HP's memory was so expensive that I went ahead and got that separate and even then I pulled the memory that it shipped with and used the part number to exactly match the vendor, bus speed, etc. online.

I think the total build to do it all over again today would be right around $3300.00USD.  I had a lot of the NVME and SSD storage from other systems, and the RTX3080 brand new is only $700 (if you can find one) which is better than my 2080Ti. I only buy/build a new system every 7-8yrs or so and so I saw it as a worthwhile investment. Since I use Davinci Resolve for video editing, I think my system is pretty much future proof, all I'll need to do is upgrade the video card again at some point once H.265 10bit 4.2.2 is supported on the chip. The system itself is rock solid stable, with enterprise class reliability which was my intent.
Another thing that a lot of people do not realize is how power can make their system unstable. I live in FL, the #1 place is the world for lightning strikes, so I have a line conditioner and two surge protectors between my system and the wall outlet. Slightly dirty power is the cause of so many system instability issues and people have no idea that's what's causing their problems; for a system that gets taxed like a video editing workstation I always recommend spending another $200USD or so for a good line conditioner and surge protector.
 
Yes, the CPU and video card is always the most expensive parts. I've never understood how motherboards can be so cheap; to my eyes they look way more expensive than the CPU let alone the video card. 

Its kind of funny, the longer I typed the post the more I realized that I did build it after all. To me though truly building a system is picking out the motherboard, PS, memory, CPU, adding the CPU paste, inserting it into the socket, getting a case, fans, mounting the PS, etc. Plugging in hard drives and swapping some memory doesn't seem to rise quite to the level of building a PC. And half the "fun" of building a PC is researching all of the latest MB, CPU, Memory, PS combinations to figure out the best one for the money. I used to have systems that I didn't even bother putting on the side of the case because I was changing things so often.
I got really tired of proxies, when I'm importing footage I want to get started right away, waiting for proxies with every clip was just annoying beyond belief for me. And I know some people say just let it sit overnight, but I do most of my project organization in Windows Explorer, I only import clips I will use in the project so that wouldn't have worked for me either.

I think the Z4 was around $1600USD but it takes a lot of work to get it that low. HP charges ridiculous rates for their memory and addin NVME cards so I used a few tricks to end up with just the tower, CPU, memory and power supply, from there I sourced parts elsewhere, so I guess I did kind of still build it out.
- I always pick the Linux option when buying from HP so that I don't pay for Windows 10 since I already have a license
-I picked the cheapest SATA storage possible since I already had NVME sticks from my previous system
-I picked no add-in video card since I already had that
-No optical storage since I never use CDs or DVDs
-No keyboard or mouse
-The one thing I don't skimp on is the Power Supply, I got the 1000W version due to the video card and to power all of the internal storage
-etc etc, until it was almost barebones, I then called and managed to get a few more things removed and an additional discount over the phone. Many people don't know if you build a system on the Dell or HP website then save it, call them and ask for a discount then give them your build invoice a lot of times you can get up to 20% more off especially around the holidays, you can also get them to remove stuff you don't need like hard drives which the online system configurator won't let you do. You can also go to the outlet version of the online store and sometimes find good deals there on returns or canceled orders but when I got the Z4 it was too new to find any deals in the outlet store.
After getting the tower with 8GB of memory, no graphics, almost no storage, etc. I then got a 4 port NVME Dell PCIe controller card on eBay for $100.00 (HP wanted $1300.00 for only 2TB), 64GB of memory for $150 (HP wanted $1600.00!!), dual SSD drives, etc. I also got the RTX2080Ti used on NewEgg for around $700.00USD.
The main thing I've learned over the years is I don't want to deal with motherboards, picking out a tower, power supplies, and memory; these are usually the source of instability later on. HP's memory was so expensive that I went ahead and got that separate and even then I pulled the memory that it shipped with and used the part number to exactly match the vendor, bus speed, etc. online.

I think the total build to do it all over again today would be right around $3300.00USD.  I had a lot of the NVME and SSD storage from other systems, and the RTX3080 brand new is only $700 (if you can find one) which is better than my 2080Ti. I only buy/build a new system every 7-8yrs or so and so I saw it as a worthwhile investment. Since I use Davinci Resolve for video editing, I think my system is pretty much future proof, all I'll need to do is upgrade the video card again at some point once H.265 10bit 4.2.2 is supported on the chip. The system itself is rock solid stable, with enterprise class reliability which was my intent.
Another thing that a lot of people do not realize is how power can make their system unstable. I live in FL, the #1 place is the world for lightning strikes, so I have a line conditioner and two surge protectors between my system and the wall outlet. Slightly dirty power is the cause of so many system instability issues and people have no idea that's what's causing their problems; for a system that gets taxed like a video editing workstation I always recommend spending another $200USD or so for a good line conditioner and surge protector.
 
Yes, the CPU and video card is always the most expensive parts. I've never understood how motherboards can be so cheap; to my eyes they look way more expensive than the CPU let alone the video card.