Why I'm off

T

TomLenham

Well-known member
It's been a long and happy road with my AF101, but I'm finally off to pastures Canon. Why? 2 simple reasons:

1 - Panny cannot retain their customer base with such a slow update cycle. Yes, I know it's their usual form, but the camera world has changed dramatically in the last two years and if they want to retain any sort of foothold, they need to keep up with the competition. All I (and many many others) wanted was a GH3 in an AF101 body. Not rocket science.
2 - I don't know about the US market, but in the UK at least, the 101 just didn't get a foothold with broadcasters. Canon and Sony are all accepted - if a UK production company is looking for large sensor work, they invariably say "we need a 5d / C300 shoot." Basic market principles say that's where I need to be to pick up the work.

Sad to go, it's still a great camera, but it just hasn't survived the evolutionary stage we're in... Thanks to all on this forum, especially Erik, Shooter and even you, DTZ Films :)

p.s. want to buy some gear?
 
Don't blame you one bit, even if I'm not planning to head that same direction myself... so many different good cameras, so many producers spec'ing just what they've heard of most. Barring any massive budget/income/necessity shifts, I'm done with shelling out thousands for incremental upgrades... my clients will either accept the AF or pay for rental of pricier gear.

Next camera I'd buy would likely be a mature 4K system - once it's in demand. Can't create demand by purchasing yet more "stuff."
 
TomLenham said:
All I (and many many others) wanted was a GH3 in an AF101 body. Not rocket science.
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And therein lies the problem. Everybody has a different idea for, or use for the camera they think should be built. For example, I had no desire for a GH3 in an AF100 body, but that's neither here nor there. Everybody needs to upgrade their shooting options every so often, and like you my next camera will not be an AF100a. More than likely I will pickup a used Sony F35 for my next camera as it has what I was looking for in my budget range.

All the Best!

Dave
 
True - I look forward to the time when an F35 is on my horizon! Though I should qualify my statement a little - what I really wanted was that this NAB, Panny announce a successor to the AF100 that contains all the goodies that drew us in the first place (proper camcorder form factor, NDs, 1080 overcranking, etc) combined with a new 1080p sensor that shares the same sharpness and DR as the sensor in the GH3.
 
Best of luck with pastures new. I'm sticking with the Af100 for at least another year or two as it meets my present needs (and I'm still learning how to use it properly!) I don't know how anyone can go about choosing what camera path to go down right now, with so much choice and new advancements emerging so rapidly...

I hear great things about the C300 and C100. If you have suitable glass, that would be a great way to go. I have nikon-fit zeiss zfs and mft glass, so I'll base my next purchase on what would best suit those.

Btw, my first ever camera was a prosumer Canon XM2. The tape mechanism went bust just as the camera was out of warranty, a common fault in the model. I never forgave Canon and never purchased from them again, though I of course appreciate how well regarded they are. Funny how one bad experience can form your view of a company for years to come.
 
groveChuck said:
So Tom, are you getting the C300? C100?
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For me, lenses are most important right now. I'm leaning towards a C100 to own with enough money left for some decent glass, then rent in the C300 when I need the codec. I really like the wide DR profile on the C100. Don't get me wrong people, the AF101 has been great and still will be for some time, but it just doesn't pull in the work. Plus those little lenses are bloody fiddly for my big, manly hands :)
 
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