FS7: It's a heavy beast !!!

Mitch Gross said:
Panasonic does make several interchangeable or adaptable mount cameras, including the GH-series as well as the VariCam LT (EF & PL). While the EVA1 is not, it doesn’t mean we are against it or never will make another model.
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Fingers crossed for that EVA1 MFT to come out in the future!
 
LennyLevy said:
MY issue with the EVA is that as far as I understand its really only useable as a "log" type camera and I still shoot a great deal of stuff for people who want WYSIWYG video. Morgan would say ( and has said) I'm old school but that's what many of my clients want. I love the idea of a small camera for a gimbal though and am very drawn right now to an A7III. EVA would be more attractive to me with more usability as a traditional camera.
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it's exactly the opposite. I sold my FS7 and went for the EVA1 because of the scene file with WYSIWYG. I never achieved this great colors with the Sony. I had the EVA1 for a two days testing and was blown away of the colors. You may remember that I tried a lot with a custom scene file with the FS7. I can recommend go for a test by yourself.
 
morgan_moore said:
You all make valid points.

Remember this thread is by a poster who presented the thesis that the fs7 is a heavy beast.

He was effectively shouted down for that.
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I think it was more that he was met with counter-argument ( and some ridicule ) for having said the fs7 is too heavy for anything but tripod work and for effectively discouraging others from purchasing the camera as a result of that personal opinion.

Of the range of weights of cameras used in production, the fs7 is in the middle of that range. If not on the lighter side of that range, as typically outfitted. An Amira is 9.9 lbs. A DXL is 10 lbs. C700 w/ VF is around 11 lbs. Alexa XT with XR Module, electronic viewfinder and handle is 17.6 lbs. The fs7 w/ ext unit is roughly 8 lbs.

As far as camera rigs go, I consider these to be "heavy beasts":


alexaMini.jpg

aaadxl.jpg

Those cameras above can be configured to be more lightweight. But they regularly are not and an Op can expect to be shouldering 15-30lbs when shooting handheld, depending on the lens and accessories.
 
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It is sort of ridiculous for a professional camera person.. to say the fs7 is too heavy for anything but tripod work .. .. or has only ever used 5D DSLR etc.. or straight out of collage .. its much harder to hold a 5D out in front of you than a well balanced.. 18 pounds of camera on your shoulder ..the fs7 can be almost too light..
 
Donny 123 said:
It is sort of ridiculous for a professional camera person.. to say the fs7 is too heavy for anything but tripod work .. .. or has only ever used 5D DSLR etc.. or straight out of collage .. its much harder to hold a 5D out in front of you than a well balanced.. 18 pounds of camera on your shoulder ..the fs7 can be almost too light..
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I think part of the problem is that people say it in absolute terms. If someone wants to say, for example, it's too heavy to put on the Ronin S or I've had shoulder surgery or back issues or you're needing something small and light for some other specific or speacilized reason, then that's understandable. But If you're a normal, healthy adult that shoots professionally, it should not just be "too heavy".
 
Clermont, I only briefly looked at the EVA1 at NAB and from what I understood you needed a laptop to alter setting for WYSIWYG video. That seemed like a huge hassle to me as I change settings all the time when shooting. Granted I always keep the same matrix but I frequently change gamma and with it black level, saturation and occasionally phase and of course color balance.

How do you use a scene file with EVA1 and what parameters can you alter with-out bleeding a laptop?
 
The EVA1 has by default V-Log, 4 scene file settings and one setting for HLG. It works similar like at the FS7. You can set gamma, knee, slope, matrix, color corrections etc. I tested all in default and with scene2 I was absolutely happy. It has a high dynamic range, it has headroom for adding a little contrast or lowering the gamma, colors are vivid but not oversaturated. color / white balance is easily done. What do you mean with "bleeding a laptop"? I see them on the 502 and in the viewfinder and that's WYSIWYG
https://pro-av.panasonic.net/manual/html/AU-EVA1P_PJ_EN_ED_AN_PX(DVQP1561ZA)_E/chapter04_06_01.htm
 
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I didn't say "bleeding with a laptop", though I love the image.
When I was at NAB I was told that in order to get at setting for ordinary none log video you had to access the camera with a laptop, that it was not available with the menus.
I'm, much more interested in that camera if its not so limited when not shooting log. What kind of gamma do the scene files use?

Of course I'm quite happy with my colors using my own matrix on the FS7 so that's not a problem. I like how light the EVA1 is though.
 
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Donny 123 said:
It is sort of ridiculous for a professional camera person.. to say the fs7 is too heavy for anything but tripod work .. .. or has only ever used 5D DSLR etc.. or straight out of collage .. its much harder to hold a 5D out in front of you than a well balanced.. 18 pounds of camera on your shoulder ..the fs7 can be almost too light..
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Wow....I came in here to offer my view of a particular setup that was in front of me at the time at a video shop as part of my research into my next camera. Yes, I've been in the SLR world 99% of the time (GH4/GH5s) and have also briefly had a Canon XF200 (which went to camera heaven thanks to a dead logic board).
I find it funny that people think less of me because of an observation (or that I'm trying to discourage people from buying the thing - we're all adults, and each person is different in their views).

Not a very friendly community if people think I'm not professional either - I've been editing and shooting video since 1993 and now realise the word 'community' isn't true to it's meaning - I understand people have opinions, but don't belittle another because you believe you're more professional, or that i'm less skilled.

Wow.
 
bigmouthmedia said:
Wow....I came in here to offer my view of a particular setup that was in front of me at the time at a video shop as part of my research into my next camera. Yes, I've been in the SLR world 99% of the time (GH4/GH5s) and have also briefly had a Canon XF200 (which went to camera heaven thanks to a dead logic board).
I find it funny that people think less of me because of an observation (or that I'm trying to discourage people from buying the thing - we're all adults, and each person is different in their views).

Not a very friendly community if people think I'm not professional either - I've been editing and shooting video since 1993 and now realise the word 'community' isn't true to it's meaning - I understand people have opinions, but don't belittle another because you believe you're more professional, or that i'm less skilled.

Wow.
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Sorry.. yes a bit of blunt comment .. must have got out of bed the wrong side.. apologies .. kick self in the arse..
 
bigmouthmedia said:
I was at our local video stockist today to check out the FS7ii as an alternative to the Z280 - and I've decided no.

The FS7ii had the kit 18-100 lens and the expansion unit on it and it's a BIG beast - practically the size of an ENG camera, and weighed as much too.
I took some footage (that's the nice part of it) but found that even after 10 minutes, that it was a burden on my shoulder weight-wise. I realise it's more likely this would be a camera on sticks than on the shoulder, although a fair bit of my work is mobile activations/street events....it's not really suited to long shoots.

In saying that, the Z280 is about 1/4 of the size, but with the same kind of features (SLog3, Timecode but without having to buy the expansion unit !) albeit it's a smaller sensor.

Coming from the Panasonic GH world, I must say the menus on Sonys are very convulted !
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What is making you leave the GH world? They seem to just start getting really good.
 
Update - I've purchased a GH5s last week (because I've been aiming for them for a while) to replace my aging GH4. I've had no issues with the pictures that come out of either, but have had a desire to have an all-in-one system that I don't have to construct/deconstruct every time I go to a job - and especially when time is of the essence (event filming). The Z280 I'm eyeing off should be in the video shop tomorrow so I'll aim to film some test footage then and compare.
 
I think the 280/Gh5 combo is interesting.

It reminds me of early 5d days when I operated for a company that had a Z1/5d - this was a good combo because you could 'run around' with the z1 and do the artso interviews with the 5d (using the XLR z1 as a sound recorder)

Having the XLR side of things attached to a video camera and a tiny 'cinematic' package (GH5 and 2 voigtlanders) on top (maybe even literally!) could make an appealing package.

The tendency has been to bin (upgrade from) the 5d/other small cinematic camera in favour of a 'cinematic video camera (s35)' and then find that once built it becomes a 'beast'

I need to consider this route for my small solo shooting package which Im still not happy with.
 
morgan_moore said:
Having the XLR side of things attached to a video camera and a tiny 'cinematic' package (GH5 and 2 voigtlanders) on top (maybe even literally!) could make an appealing package.
.
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For the GH5 there is the DMW-XLR1 audio adapter with 2 XLR inputs which sits on the hot shoe.
Pretty cool, pretty nice and not so bad preamps.

Did I mention that the purchase of the GH5 was my first step away from the FS7 towards the EVA1?
:2vrolijk_08:
 
Yep - I still think the GH5 is a pain if you are on the go..
-no decent zooms
-no nd
-horrid top XLR
-viewfinder in crappy place etc
-cables sticking out the sides
-cables sticking out everywhere
-battery hard to swap


I cannot see how one can be configured for 'fast' video use.

Thats why I like the combo with an EX1 type camera - becuase if you need to just shoot you go with that, but if you have time to faff you can go for the tiny 'cinema' camera.
 
you can alway pick a lot of downsides of every camera. The GH5 serves me well handheld and as B-cam with great colors, also with the horrid XLR.
 
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morgan_moore said:
Yep - I still think the GH5 is a pain if you are on the go..
-no decent zooms
-no nd
-horrid top XLR
-viewfinder in crappy place etc
-cables sticking out the sides
-cables sticking out everywhere
-battery hard to swap


I cannot see how one can be configured for 'fast' video use.

Thats why I like the combo with an EX1 type camera - becuase if you need to just shoot you go with that, but if you have time to faff you can go for the tiny 'cinema' camera.
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Whada'ya mean cables sticking out everywhere? :thumbsup:

IMG_1142.jpg
 
That's what kills me about dslr mirrorless is the cables stick out near where my face will be when it is shoulder mount. And when shooting from the hip, my left arm hits the cables and I fear for bending them. Now, Of course there are work arounds, and I have a a cage and L-hdmi to solve those issues, but would still be nice, if stills cameras could find a way to have outputs that work for video.

That said, that is some tasty cable wrangling there!
 
bigmouthmedia said:
Update - I've purchased a GH5s last week (because I've been aiming for them for a while) to replace my aging GH4. I've had no issues with the pictures that come out of either, but have had a desire to have an all-in-one system that I don't have to construct/deconstruct every time I go to a job - and especially when time is of the essence (event filming). The Z280 I'm eyeing off should be in the video shop tomorrow so I'll aim to film some test footage then and compare.
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Great! Yeah, the GH5 looks like GH line has come into their own. They've always had compelling specs, but this is the first one I really want to try since the GH2.
 
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