NickyDee

I run three 'older school' digital cameras and, a bit like my love for classic cars, continue to feel there's something quite magical in the aesthetic output that draws me away from upgrading to anything really new. I appreciate the performance markers that companies like BMD and Sony are putting down. Even appreciate the Panasonic loyalty to the MFT system (having previously owned a GH2 way back when) especially with the latest GH5ii, but when push comes to shove I always revert back to my first 'film' camera the BMPCC OG. With a full set of SLR Magic Hyperprimes, Anamorphot 50 x2, 82mm ND filters across the full range 1 to 10, SLRM diopters, VND, and full caged rig to Atomos Ninja V, its about as perfect an MFT package for the OG as you'll find anywhere. With such great software tech available for upscaling, noise reduction, and sharpness enhancement there's very little this setup can't do filmically. It's a joy to use, and the output is beautiful. Now add in, to that, a full package for the Sony F5 (again to Atomos but with an SDI module, the AtomX), I have a full 16 bit RAW signal for absolutely high-end movie-grade visuals in 4K. Paired with a full set of Veydra Primes, with a T2.2 max aperture, and the visuals are sublime. The odd fish in my collection is the last camera, again not brand new, and a little forgotten, the A6500 from Sony. I've used this camera alongside the FX3 on film shoots and it holds up extremely well against its newer and much more capable stablemate. When used as a B cam with the A7S2 its output was even more comparable. A cracking little hybrid that performs brilliantly in low light, it is as comfortable shooting 4K movies as it is in taking high resolution stills with its 24mp sensor. The only negative for me is that it only records in 8 bit, precisely half of the much older, but more specifically movie focused F5. But Resolve 17 is a beast of a piece of software and a deft hand in grading can bring amazing results even from a cameras the size of a slice of crispbread. so, for now, at least, I feel I have an inventory that allows me great creative freedom, and real high end performance, regardless of which system I choose to put under the spotlight. More money, and newer tech doesn't always mean better quality.