Tulpa

Good point. It’s been 10 years since I had a GH4 in my hands… and although not small, it was certainly smaller than the C100MkII that I went with. With that in mind, I remember that most folks loved Canon for their colour. I don’t have any experience with the R5, but a friend is running one in India across that past 3 years with zero issues.

Thanks John. The last camera I used at length was a C100MkII and it really had everything I needed short of a fatter codec. However I would never want to bring something this big with me cycling. Oh sure, stripped with a pancake it definitely shrank, but to the point that ‘control’ became challenging… though the NDs sure were helpful. That S9 you recommended, would you still be happy after a few wireless receivers were attached? Those would certainly raise the footprint on this small powerhouse. As an aside, does anyone make a wireless package with something like a small bolt on receiver that can handle multiple streams with minimal cable to the body? Come to think of it, it would be a bit of a godsend if camera bodies had the option to included built in wireless receivers. I guess we can always dream.

Great frames that really highlight your point on the GH7 and Voigt's lowlight performance. And yes, 3 cheers for noise reduction software… and high bitrates! With some reasoning that sound is 70% of a film, how were you handling sound input into your GH7? Did you use the audio module? If so, any interesting insights worth mentioning?

Hi Ade, thank you for stepping in with this and yes I've seen it - and his other work. I'd say that Martijn really nails it here in a way that would be challenging to top. Stepping in a bit more, and towards the narrative, most of these types of projects follow a similar story with the cyclist(s) as the main protagonist in their journey which can certainly make for a compelling story if these folks have what it takes to actually carry the story. And based on the numbers, I'd say that Martijn seem to be able to handle this rather well. In considering the approach to story, I think we'd all agree that it requires a certain amount of reckoning with oneself (and certainly one's ego) to want to attempt something similar. And in doing so, and at this point, I've reasoned that I'd probably be more comfortable putting the focus more on others I meet along the way rather than myself, but with an understanding that it would be my hand guiding the story and experience. Some have suggested that I'd be just as good in front of the lens as behind it though it's hard not to be quite so self conscious when left to one's own scrutiny. Solving this, it would probably be easier to relax and let go of the self consciousness if someone else were to take on the role of filmmaker and follow me, but these shoestring budgets just don't allow for it. I guess I'll see where things go. Does anyone else have anything to say about making the decision to step out from behind the camera? There have been several cases in documentary film history where directors had to do this to carry a story that was stuck... Nick Broomfield for one. Mads Brugger is my personal favourite in this. With his current project - building his home in the Italian Alps, I'd reason that Martijn's current Youtube success stems from the fact that so many people long for what appears to an immersive and authentic experience that harken's back to a quieter time while more connected to nature. And his sparse filmmaking approach certainly compliments this. Well done I'd have to say. It's good to hear of your Enfield adventures, it could easily be that we've passed one another on those dusty trails.

Does anyone have anything to say about the Fuji XT cameras?

I just saw my first 360 material from a bike last night and although it was interesting to be able to cut back and forth from multiple angles, I just couldn't get past how distorted everything was on the wides... and it seems to me that this doesn't go away when cropping in. Maybe I need to check out some other material to get a better sense of things... but I like it that you've thrown this option into the mix. Thanks!

Thank you for the FX suggestions... I'd overlooked these units. And yes, the decision on how to store and backup files certainly comes into the picture. I guess it's a matter of price and connection speed which are the variables. I'll keep your Blackmagic suggestion in mind. Hard work... yes! It's one thing to show up somewhere, rent a flat, and then plug into a city for material. Quite another to do it from a moving bicycle. The good news is that others have done it with impressive results.

Thank you for pointing this out eatstoomuchjam. Entirely true on the dust factor... I'd say that this can actually be more important than rain.

Well said Kye, thank you. I've seen your work over the years, it's impressive just how much you are able to ring out of your bodies and lenses. Seriously. And yes, the S9 and 28-200 seems like it can deliver as a smaller unit. I wonder how much larger things get when professional audio comes into play.

Good to have your extra and revised insights here John. Thank you. Yes, a combination of an action camera and a decent smaller unit seems the way to go. However, I think we'd agree that it would be great to have just one robust unit that we know and trust. But, of course, everything is a compromise. With so many variables, I never put much faith into 'weather' sealed ratings. Sometimes one just has to spend and put these things through their paces until they just no longer work. Then grab a new one, and keep going. "There are so many good choices. It almost makes you say "screw it" and just use whatever you have with its limitations. If you're a creative, this is usually better." - This! Finally, at the end of the day, we know a camera should be mostly intuitive to use... and get the hell out of the way. I know that @Kye like the GH bodies... but notice no one here has said much about the GH7 as a work horse. It would be such a solid contender if they could get that low light up a bit. Correct?

Well said. And truth be told, I've never felt exactly comfortable in front of the camera... but I do like to be taken by the hand by other filmmakers as they lead me through unconventional stories that move the heart and imagination.

This is hilarious… and exactly true! 😂 The other option is to just put this upcoming project aside and join a Buddhist monastery… but I’m going to try to take one last run at this type of thing and see what kind of ‘happiness’ it leads to. Lets see…

Wow folks, this is exactly the kind of extra insights and support I was hoping for here. Thank you so much and hats off to all of you! Really 🙂 It's clear that some of you @kyereally understand the actual logistics of trying to pull something like this off while maintaining focus on the basics. @John Matthews Big thank you for getting right to the heart of which bodies and lens choices you would employ, this says a lot! @MrSMW for questioning those choices. And of course eatstoomuchjam for helping to get this party started. Clark, Tbonne and IIka for your insights as well. I need a little time to go through the various camera bodies and lens combinations now and respond further, but please feel free to add anything extra if you feel that it will benefit. I'm super grateful for anything you guys can add beyond what has already been started. With the logistics of the bicycle, bicycle equipment, route and camera/ laptop and actual story, you can see that this is a lot of balls in the air... so another huge thanks for your wise insights here folks! 🙏

Thank you for this eatstoomuchjam. And if you you could have your pick of camera and lens, do you know what that would be? 10bit and 4k as a minimum with good low light capabilities? I'm not only considering shooting from the bicycle, but collecting stories from the situations with people along the way. Any thoughts?

Dear Eoshd members, I've been a long time lurker and it's clear that there are some with an exceptional wealth of experience here. I used to be quite up to speed with the latest camera tech but completely fell off a cliff about 3 years ago. I'm not so sure a lot has happened since then, but I would be curious to have your insights on what would make a solid camera choice for an upcoming project that I'm moving towards. The project involves cycling around the world for several years under all kinds of conditions and producing a cinematic documentary about it. I know that many use things like GoPro, Insta 360 etc with decent results. But I'm wondering what you folks would use to obtain your results if you were to embark on such an adventure and why? I'd be grateful for any insights or observations any of you may have!