Is the forum slow?
- Thread starter firehawk
- Start date
The whole photo-video universe is asleep. First of all, the discussion shifted from the online forums to YouTube. Second, due to Covid/economy/cartel, the pace of new cameras arrivals and the degree of improvement with each camera has become excruciatingly slow. As an example, R5 is five years old and there hasn't really been a much better camera since then. This effects the YouTubers and the established forums alike. As Chucky Dees said on this very forum a while back, "It was the worst of times ... but not as bad as it was going to get later".
cyclone
Well-known member
2 quotes from Coppola come to mind:
1. “I wanted to be a film student again, as a man in my 60s. To go someplace alone and see what you can cook up, with non-existent budgets. I didn’t want to be surrounded by comforts and colleagues, which you have when you’re a big time director. I wanted to write personal works.”
2, “Suddenly one day some little girl in Ohio is going to be the new Mozart… and make a beautiful film with her father’s little camera-corder, and for once this whole professionalism about movies will be destroyed forever and it will become an art form.”
Regarding #1: Many of the new filmmakers (IMHO) are no longer making personal films. They are, instead, trying to be "mainstream," and this hurts them and their audiences.
Regarding #2: The absence of #1 renders #2 less applicable. I believe filmmakers aren't as interested in learning and sharing ideas with colleagues. They are churning out their YouTube videos (most at very low quality) and having their friends and parents say, "Wow, you sure are a great filmmaker!" And they believe it. No need for forums. No interest in sharing. Yeah, I'm cynical...but I'm an old man now and started fooling around in film at the age of 6. I remember when DVXuser was humming with electric action. Not so much anymore. Makes me sad.
1. “I wanted to be a film student again, as a man in my 60s. To go someplace alone and see what you can cook up, with non-existent budgets. I didn’t want to be surrounded by comforts and colleagues, which you have when you’re a big time director. I wanted to write personal works.”
2, “Suddenly one day some little girl in Ohio is going to be the new Mozart… and make a beautiful film with her father’s little camera-corder, and for once this whole professionalism about movies will be destroyed forever and it will become an art form.”
Regarding #1: Many of the new filmmakers (IMHO) are no longer making personal films. They are, instead, trying to be "mainstream," and this hurts them and their audiences.
Regarding #2: The absence of #1 renders #2 less applicable. I believe filmmakers aren't as interested in learning and sharing ideas with colleagues. They are churning out their YouTube videos (most at very low quality) and having their friends and parents say, "Wow, you sure are a great filmmaker!" And they believe it. No need for forums. No interest in sharing. Yeah, I'm cynical...but I'm an old man now and started fooling around in film at the age of 6. I remember when DVXuser was humming with electric action. Not so much anymore. Makes me sad.
Imamacuser
Veteran
Many questions regarding the fundamentals and technique can be answer with a web search that brings up old threads, thus negating constant forum activity.
With that said, it seems like a lot of people would rather have people spoon feed them information on a forum than do any research. I remember one time on DPReview, there were three threads practically on top of each other asking about editing software, and it never occurred to the OP to read the thread below.
I think the other factor is that discussion has move to other platforms like Facebook groups, reddit, Discord, etc.
I also think that an apparent societal rise in narcissisms precludes people from asking for constructive criticism and advice.
With that said, it seems like a lot of people would rather have people spoon feed them information on a forum than do any research. I remember one time on DPReview, there were three threads practically on top of each other asking about editing software, and it never occurred to the OP to read the thread below.
I think the other factor is that discussion has move to other platforms like Facebook groups, reddit, Discord, etc.
I also think that an apparent societal rise in narcissisms precludes people from asking for constructive criticism and advice.
Typo.
But I stand by my statement. A7RIV is three years old and there's been nothing better for the full frame photo since. Fuji's medium format cameras are great but GFX100 is three years old also. And APS-C will not see a real new model for three years either - A6500 was it - until that 40 MPX/8K HX-2 comes out. Maybe. GH-6 was a minor update for the MFT owners. It's a snooze fest. There's no excitement. The whole industry is barely treading water and YouTube doesn't even "suggest' any Tony & Chelsea Northrup videos anymore. Bye, Felicia. Elvis has left the building.
Onto the electric cars now. A solar panels.
NorBro
Major Contributor
I do agree, generally - but we also have to put things into reasonable perspective and realize 2020 and 2021 were both big years for cameras.
Back in the day, you'd get like 2 affordable cinema cameras every 4 years.
We don't need a banger every 6 months.
Plus who knows how much of any decision-making is as a result of component shortages. What's the point of a new camera if you can't make it and sell it?
Back in the day, you'd get like 2 affordable cinema cameras every 4 years.
We don't need a banger every 6 months.
Plus who knows how much of any decision-making is as a result of component shortages. What's the point of a new camera if you can't make it and sell it?
Doug Jensen
Carbonite Member
Different style cameras with different purposes in mind. A1 is a non-crippled version of R5. It's also significantly more expensive. A7RIV was retailing for $3,000 a few weeks ago. And even A1 is a year and a half old.
By the way, I am not saying that Sony ought to be replacing A1 but the last non-vlogging camera it introduced was A7IV. A year earlier, it was A7SIII. Yes, 2020 was a Covid year and it effected projects in 2021 but overall there are too few new cameras with only modestly incremental improvements.
Meanwhile, Samsung announced a 200 MPX sensor with Quad Phase Detect, 8K and a choice of multiple resolutions (200/50/12.5) for stills. Could a Japanese photo/video company come out with a 200 MPX sensor camera? Duh.
But it's a self throttled industry and it's suffering accordingly. When it wakes up, it might be too late.
Doug Jensen
Carbonite Member
All nonsense. Do you actually shoot for a living? What camera(s) do YOU own? There are a ton of really good cameas already on the market. People just need to pick one of them, master it, and go out and shoot something. There's probably less than .1% of professionals who actually NEED a camera with better specs than what they can buy right this very minute. You sound like a wannabe who doesn't actually use the gear they think companies should be making and that other people should be buying. I call bullshit on your day dreams of better cameras and your poo pooing of the ones we already have.
You should contact the CEOs and let them know where they are going so wrong. I'm sure they will be all ears and take your insightful advice to heart. They might even name a camera after you.
Last edited:
A diamond encrusted Zenit TTL with platinum handles that I got used for $60,000. I got a roll of Svema film too. It was included in the price.
So, I am "hanging out" on YouTube, probably watching a forty year old Rainbow concert, when I get a YouTube recommendation for some text Gerald Undone posted. Yes, text, not video. But, while I was at it, I thought I'd click onto his channel anyway because I had not seen a new clip there for a long time. So I got through to his "uploaded videos" page. The last camera/lens related upload was something like six weeks ago (and a few weeks have lapsed since then). After that, he produced on different themes, including one video on bananas (the fruit, not the Woody Allen comedy classic). To make story more succinct, I looked up the view count from his gear reviews and saw that those were in the 130,000-150,000 range His off-topic pondering were at about 20,000 per. The subscribers clicked. And likely went home disappointed.
As I have said, the whole industry is in a state of doldrums.
As I have said, the whole industry is in a state of doldrums.
NorBro
Major Contributor
You're an artist with that paint brush. lol
Views will grow for the banana video(s). It's been 9 days since the main one - 32K views. More than some of his other videos from 2-3 months.
Naturally, views from camera reviews dominate his views (and other channels). Take away those numbers and his average is less than the range above.
Views will grow for the banana video(s). It's been 9 days since the main one - 32K views. More than some of his other videos from 2-3 months.
Naturally, views from camera reviews dominate his views (and other channels). Take away those numbers and his average is less than the range above.
Run&Gun
Veteran
You just never know what's going to take hold. I'm friends with a shooter who started posting on his YouTube channel late last year about a lobster he bought at the grocery store and turned into a pet. The original video is over 20M views with many of the subsequent ones over a million/in the millions themselves. Another buddy that has a reasonably popular YouTube channel himself, said he will easily make six figures off of that lobster this year.
NorBro
Major Contributor
Six figures...do you think so? IDK.
As far as Gerald, it's the ultimate YouTube dream if you can evolve and continue to run your channel in different ways.
3-4 years ago, I said here it must be a nightmare to run that type of content the way he does because people come to him for knowledge and because he made the delivery format so obsessive-compulsive, he can't leave out details and has to keep Gerald outdoneing himself, if you will.
There's no way he could keep that up unless he's crazy... [I'm on a roll].
So bananas or no bananas, he has to try other things, IMO (and the time is now).
As far as Gerald, it's the ultimate YouTube dream if you can evolve and continue to run your channel in different ways.
3-4 years ago, I said here it must be a nightmare to run that type of content the way he does because people come to him for knowledge and because he made the delivery format so obsessive-compulsive, he can't leave out details and has to keep Gerald outdoneing himself, if you will.
There's no way he could keep that up unless he's crazy... [I'm on a roll].
So bananas or no bananas, he has to try other things, IMO (and the time is now).
Run&Gun
Veteran
I personally have no idea what the payout system is like on YouTube, but my buddy does. His average monthly payout from them is ~$5K, and he’s not doing close to the views of this guy.
About $3K for 1,000,000 views (for an American).
filmguy123
Veteran
The new redesign did change the feel significantly, not in a positive way for me.
cyvideo
Veteran
+ 1 on that. I still strongly feel the software/design change was the main reason for the drop in patronage. Could be wrong but my gut says no I'm not.
Chris Young