FHDcrew

26 minutes ago, kye said:

if you can't make good enough videos with your Z6 and a Ninja Star and a few AF or MF lenses, then the problem isn't the camera.

Understood. I think I need to stop nitpicking over my external recorders TBH 😂 

I get quite bored talking about cameras, as the current lot of mirrorless cameras are all phenominal, with great dynamic range, autofocus, color, etc.  Pretty much every major problem we have complained about in the past has been solved.  For me personally I find it more beneficial to focus on technique, improving on lighting, color grading, storytelling, etc.  I also find other gear investments to benefit me more, such as lens upgrades or grip gear.  As many of you know, I have been using the Nikon Z6 as my primary camera, and this has been the case since the end of 2020 when I bought it.  At the time of purchase, I already owned a Ninja V, so buying a used Z6 for under $1300 was a no-brainer.  This gave me an affordable way to achieve 10-bit LOG while shooting with a full-frame sensor, all the while having perfectly usable phase-detect autofocus.  For the most part I was and still am very happy with this camera although I did become annoyed at the size, form-factor and setup-time implications that come into play when using the Ninja V.  To solve some of these issues, I bought an Atomos Ninja Star, and I figured out a way to output oversampled 10-bit 1080p to the Ninja Star, using NLOG of course.  For my work, this 1080p image is all of the IQ I need.  Detail is sufficient, DR is great, and grading flexibility is superb.  I did grow slightly tired of using the Ninja Star even; it's great but sometimes I still want to just record internally to the memory card.  The Ninja Star still involves setup time and adds a small bit of clunkiness to the setup.  The Ninja Star also uses Micro HDMI so I don't always want to depend on it.  I have recently been using the internal 8-bit 4k on my Nikon Z6, and have been experimenting with internal picture profiles and grading techniques.  I am beginning to get results I am pleased with out of the internal image, and I feel it is going to be completely usable for my work going forward.  Can I push it as much as 10-bit LOG?  Of course not.  Will it look as good in high-contrast scenes?  No.  But it can totally work, especially when I am in control of lighting, which is often the case.  The plan is to shoot internally often, and when I need more, I have two great external recorders I can use.

My dilema is not so much "I need a new camera because what I currently have is not working for me."  Indeed, the Z6 does everything I need.  When I want a small setup, the 8-bit is totally workable.  If I need more, the Ninja Star can be used.  For maximum IQ and solid monitoring options, my Ninja V has me covered.  What my actual dilema is this: how long should I hang on to this camera, and should I continue to invest in the Nikon Z system?  I plan to eventually move on from the Z6, as cameras have improved since then, and we have affordable large-sensored cameras that offer 10-bit LOG internally.  The Panasonic S5 II, Sony FX30, Canon R8, R6 II, all are options i have thought of down the line. 

Where I am at right now: upgrading my camera is not the smartest investment right now.  It is doable down the line, but right now I need to invest in more glass, and if I have the budget possibly some more grip gear to improve my lighting skills.  I could easily purchase some affordable, used F-mount glass that will work with my Z6.  This will be an easy route, as I already own the FTZ adapter.  With that being said, it seems pointless to invest in F-mount glass if I will eventually switch systems.

This is very long-winded, so let me get down to my question.  Which of these two options would you say is the best route?

Option 1 -- Keep my Nikon Z6 and grow my lens collection.  My next Nikon body will then most likely be either the Z8, or if it ever releases, the Z6 III.  This upgrade would not take place until at least a year from now.

Option 2 -- Sell my FTZ adapter and adapt EF or E mount.  I will take a small loss by selling my FTZ adapter and Tamron 45mm 1.8 lens, but this allows me to invest in glass that I can use with other systems down the line.

Option 3 -- Sell my Z6 sooner, sell the FTZ adapter, and switch systems entirely, either to Sony, Canon or Panasonic, with the most likely candidates being either the Panasonic S5 II, a used R6 OG, or the Sony FX30.

This was shot in SLOG3 BTW.  Almost makes me start to think a used A7III is a good deal in 2023...

Speaking of new Sony releases...how about old Sony bodies!  Zach Mayfield looked at an older A7SII recently and found the color held up well in Davinci Resolve provided you don't underexpose.  It seems like with how optimized and powerful Davinci Resolve is, you can honestly push 8 bit SLOG footage pretty far!  I imagine a lot of people would be just fine working with 8-bit SLOG in a color-managed Davinici Resolve workflow!

1 hour ago, ntblowz said:

Will share once I done the edit

 

Just use HDR-PQ which will have more DR than cinestyle profile, like this guy shot in HDR to get the most of DR.

 

Agreed I don't know why people don't talk about HDR PQ on these cameras.  A lot like a LITE LOG profile, and you can even convert it to LOG in Davinci using ColorSpaceTransform to get a grading experience one is used to.

Looks like a new camera will be announced soon. Nikonrumors claims it’s the Z8…but I’ve heard that’s pretty expensive still. Nikon need To come out with an answer for the Sony a7iv, canon r6 ii, etc.  

25 minutes ago, PPNS said:

you guys are getting a monitor pic from me since i’m not grading the last project i dp’d.

 

i think lighting wise this looks nice, but framing wise i would set up the camera a bit higher, and then angle it down slightly to make this man look a bit better. I personally wouldnt center frame interviews, but i don’t necessarily mind it either. Ideally i also wouldn’t show anything beneath the logo of the football team to get a proper medium close up. I think most of your work looks good, and this is personal preference, i think you should consider stopping down more. I think you would benefit from having to shoot at f/5.6 on that big of a sensor and getting to see your background a bit more.

Appreciate the feedback man!  And at this point I agree about the camera placement, not the first person to point that out 😏

Ungraded

Nikon Z6, Tamron 45mm 1.8, 8-bit 4k 24p, Neutral PP with iDynamic set to High

Nikon Z6, Tamron 45mm 1.8, Internal 8-bit Neutral PP with i-Dynamic set to High, 1080p internal (not 4k or oversampled FHD)

Shot on a Nikon Z6, Tamron 45m 1.8, NLOG 10 bit oversampled 1080P.  BROLL primarily shot in Nikon FLAT.

28 minutes ago, PannySVHS said:

There is no Prores for UHD, meaning no 16 to 9 (3840x2160px) out of the box. One would need to crop in from the sides. That´s not a meaningful decision on part of Pana imo. @mercer

Other than that I yet have to see a meaningful test for my eyes, which shows the effect of the 3D noise reduction. Colour looks very good.

With the GH5 it was edge sharpness that gave away the most of its hybrid character, being the least cinema camera like attribute. GH5II has organic sharpness and sofore lack of that digital edge enhancement. That´s a cam I would like to test for sure.

I wished for the cam to have opened a variety of crop modes. S16 1 to 1.66, S16 4 to 3 with full width and so on..

Yes the lack of sharpening on the GH5II was a strange, random choice by Panasonic.  Not that it was bad by any means, but it's strange how that model got it and yet we have the fancy S5 II without this ability.  Must be a heck of an image though, an interesting run-and-gun alternative to the BMPCC4k, but still has some of the mojo because of the organic image quality primarily caused by the ability to fully disable internal sharpening.  A simple feature all cameras should have, but few do.

43 minutes ago, Kisaha said:

Ofcourse! I just did a small friendly comment. I am glad that you didn't gave it more gravity than it should!

These new Nikon cameras (and lenses, depending the lens of course) are for me the best value for money options right now in the mirrorless world.

A lot of friends now use the 24-120mm for all around video with excellent results.

This is true, they are a great value. And I’ve spoke various times about how great the Z6 image is when used with an external recorder. Get a cheap 1080p Prores recorder and get oversampled 10-bit log video. I’m pretty pleased with how the 8 bit internal held up in this piece, however, except at some times I noticed some break-up in the skin due to the 8 bit and the fact that I recorded it in a very flat profile. For the AROLL, I just had a friend hold up a simple 5-in-1 reflector to diffuse the sun.  

3 hours ago, Kisaha said:

Very good and nice image, but needed some more B roll obviously. Just a couple of kicks and a helmet-wearing. Also the transition between two similar headshots with a different color to the second one is kind of weird. Maybe going super close up (not spaghetti western close up! Just head and shoulders) for the smile-shot in the same shot before the end, would have been more appropriate.

As of the camera, I know a lot of people using Nikon for weddings or simple corporate or other videos. Here, some mkII kits are slightly more expensive than the Canon R8 body(!) and there are continuously rebates or some kind of incredible offer..

They have great priced kits with various lenses, a lot of people choose the 24-120mm and they have it all..

Very tempting..

 

This is all very valid and yes we needed more BROLL for that project. Thankfullly I’m very happy with the AROLL so if AROLL is good and you screw up a bit on BROLL It’s fine 😂 

Nikon Z6, 8-bit internal 4k 24p, Nikon FLAT with iDynamic set to High

I can rattle off about my Z6 but the only problem is very few people if any use that camera on the forum besides myself.  If anyone has questions about that camera though I'd be happy to answer, I've been using it very consistently for over 2 years as my main video workhorse.

4 minutes ago, kye said:

Current totals and some very shallow analysis.

Not much overlap between what is used and what is discussed, and not much respect for what people are actually using.

Good point...we should start talking more about the cameras we already own and about making the most with them.

On 1/5/2023 at 10:35 AM, dreamplayhouse said:

Thanks for all your comments. I decided I'm going to go with Z6 and might get a Ninja 2 or Star for 10bit video. I just prefer the handling and EVF of the Z6. Actually had the Z6 last year and returned for another camera... it's been a camera gear disease for a few years now.

Reviving this old thread.  @dreamplayhousehow have you been liking your Nikon Z6?  Did you end up getting a Ninja 2 or Star for it?

1 hour ago, PPNS said:

some stills from a new short i dp’d. Still ungraded, some still need to be cropped a bit.

 

Nice!  For the fourth shot up from the bottom, did you use negative fill?  Any sort of scrim for diffusion, or did you shoot at golden hour?  Looks great, as does everything else!

1 hour ago, newfoundmass said:

He's a nice enough dude, but unfortunately he's a Sony shill. I probably wouldn't take what he has to say, re: whether you should buy a camera, very seriously.

Agreed. His instagram posts are just rap music with him holding his FX3/24-70 G-Master in his hands 😂 

1 minute ago, John Matthews said:

I still use 2 GH2's for live 1080p 25fps stuff... English classes that I get paid for. Super happy with them and they seem good enough when used with an ATEM Mini. For personal stuff, I use the GH6 and a G100 for travel. I'll be selling my E-M1 ii this next week if I can get 400-ish Euros for it. The rest of my cameras are either film or just broken broken.

Very awesome kit!  The GH2's are so killer for the price!  GH1's as well, you can get them for under $100 if you look hard enough!  Such a nice 1080p image from those older Lumix MFT cams, back when I used a Panasonic G7 as my main camera I always liked the mojo I got from the 1080p image, despite it being pixel binned and a low bitrate it had surprisingly good detail and held up well all things considered.  Would often use it instead of 4k to save filespace, and I always was happy with the results!

A news package I shot recently with the Z6 and 45mm 1.8, with the ninja star. Some BROLL is from my friend’s canon 7d. 

7 hours ago, kye said:

I'm curious to know what cameras people are actually using?

By reading the forums I get the impression that everyone is using the latest and (so called) greatest cameras, but I suspect that's not the case.  I haven't been posting lately because I've gotten the impression that no-one would be interested unless I was pixel-peeing a Z9 or whatever, and I've moved past that now.

I miss your posts and would rather read them over constant S5II Z9 talk.