Why I'm selling my AF101

A

analog_addict

Well-known member
I had a £3k budget for a new camera and bought a 2nd hand AF101. I thought I would have this camera for at least a year but after about 4 months I'm selling it in favour of DSLR production. I never thought I would prefer the shooting style and look of a Canon DSLR over the AF101 but I do.

Things I will miss from the AF101:

- Slow motion
- Built in ND filters
- Decent audio
- No need for a rig
- Image detail

Things that drove me to sell the AF101:

- Bad highlight handling
- Nasty roll-off
- Colour (I could never get the colour quite right, I struggled with my white balance a lot also. Even manually dialing in, it never seemed quite right)
- 2x crop (A lot worse than I thought it would be)
- No digital zoom for focus (This was a killer for me! Red peaking doesn't cut it)

I must admit my choice to sell wouldn't have been so easy if I did not already own all the DSLR rig gear from my 550D but as it stands I can get a new 5dmk2 for £1.5k and save the other £1.5k when I sell and maybe invest in a few essentials for my video company.

I had been shooting on the AF101 for about 4 months and hadn't touched my 550D in that time. I randomly took my cameras into the office one day and set them up side by side. I was instantly more comfortable with the DSLR and looking at the images side by side I much preferred the 550D! I dialed in the white balance on both cameras and the 550D looked great but the AF101 looked a bit iffy, the colour didn't quite seem right.

The AF101 is a fantastic camera and I did shoot some really nice stuff with it but for me (someone who owns all extra DSLR gear needed) I don't think the camera was worth double the price of a new 5Dmk2. By this I mean technically it is worth the price because it is a much more in-depth camera than the 5D but the image I was achieving with it wasn't worth double the price of a 5Dmk2. The ease of use for me didn't outweigh the look of the final image.

I think maybe I just wasn't comfortable with the AF101 and didn't achieve it's full potential. I have always used Canon cameras such as the XL2, XHA1 and 550D, so maybe I just didn't know how to achieve it;'s full potential.

The AF101 is a fantastic camera but I just didn't feel comfortable with it for one reason or another. It is strange to think that I used to hate DSLR video when it boomed. I ranted about the lack of detail, lack of audio, moire and aliasing. Now my production company is fully DSLR. I really, really enjoy shooting DSLR because of how modular it is. You can adapt to so many shooting styles.

I'm aiming to shoot DSLR for another year (renting 1/3" cams when needed) and will check the camera landscape then. If anyone is looking to buy an AF101 I am selling mine with 3 batteries, 3 lens adapters etc for £2850 collected in the UK. Otherwise £3000 + shipping.

Check out the video below that I shot with the AF101. This is a project where I love the image out of the camera. Unfortunately I couldn't replicate this project to project. The more I talk about it, the more it seems it might be my problem and not the cameras.

 
I agree a DSLR is easier to set up when it comes to white balance and other things despite their shortcomings. One has to use a camera that feels comfortable.
 
That video looked pretty good. You made nice use of it including the VFR, which, as you say you'll miss. It is my habit to white balance on all setups and futz with it in post. I've never gotten dialing in color balance. It seems a tough trade off but I've seen some very nice stuff from the DSLRs including a commercial I was in. As Editman says you have to use what feels comfortable to you so, all the best with your choice.
 
in my experience the af100 colours and white balance temps heavily depend on what scene file recipes i am using. at one point in a experiment i modified the recipes so much that regardless what white balance temp i was at the colours were yellow. my current recipe is producing a flatter look which gives me more leeway in post and I'm getting fantastic results... i also agree that a dslr produces much better colours and is easier to use out of the box but i still prefer the af100 over any dslr.
 
I think it's a lot to do with comfort. Lots of people loved the DVX100 but I much preferred the XL2. Both were quite similar cameras but the XL2 just felt right when I used it. Same with my 550D. I bought it just to see what all the fuss was about DSLR video. I took to it really easily. I just don't feel any love for my AF101. I still look back on my XL2 as one of the best cameras I have ever owned but can't see myself feeling that way about the AF101.

Emotional attachment to cameras? haha
 
Nice video, I had an af100 as well, I miss the ND, HDSDI and waveform.
But I'm happy with a s35 sensor. Use what you feel comfortable with.
 
I much prefer the handling and form factor of a dslr. It's even better with a separate sound recordist. I just feel clumsy with a full size shoulder mount camera.
 
aguia said:
This should be moved to the Equipment for sale thread. Mod?
Click to expand...

The bulk of his post is his explanation as to why he's getting rid of it in favor of another camera... basically all his criticisms. Even if he's including the price of what he's selling, the post seems appropriate here, at lest to me.
 
I already have a thread in the Marketplace for the camera but didn't think this long explanation would really fit there! I included the price in case anyone read and wanted to PM about price. I just wanted to express how I felt about this camera and what I will miss.
 
My thoughts... I hope your new camera handles your shooting needs. But in my mind, your highlight knee is selectable on the AF100, your color parameters are fully adjustable, white balance is fully adjustable, there are a number of third party monitors available to help accurately adjust focus, and the whole 2X crop issue, is not an issue at all in my book. It is beyond me why people are insistent on comparing the sensor of their video camera with the frame size of a full frame still camera, rather than the frame size of a movie camera which they are trying to emulate, say super 35 for example which is a 1.4X crop on the AF100.


Good Luck!

Dave
 
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People sell things for lots of different reasons... I just sold my trusty old Z1U, and I've always loved the dang thing... it just didn't work for my needs very often any more. No sense keeping it around waiting and depriciating.

I like using my AF and the stuff I get from it, but I know not everyone does. Hope you find something that works better for the way you shoot.
 
There are certainly enough different shooting styles, and enough different products on the market, that someone should be able to make an exact fit towards their needs. The AF100 may not have worked out for the O.P. And that's okay. For my needs it is ideal and I just bought another one.

Find the camera that works for you and go shoot. :thumbsup:
 
to the OP..what about trying the fs100? maybe that would fit your needs better ( i mean if the want for a large sensor real video camera is still there).
 
analog_addict said:
The more I talk about it, the more it seems it might be my problem and not the cameras.
Click to expand...
If you really think that maybe you are the "problem" it should be a fairly easy problem to fix. You should solve your "personal" problem then see if you still want to sell. Finding the true problem would be very educational/profitable. The AF100 is a fantastic tool which you currently own. Perhaps sell all your DSLR equip to raise funds. Find an AF100 expert and pick his/her brain.
 
One important issue you may have forgot about in your missing the af101 is the ability to shoot almost moire free. The Canons as everyone knows are terrible for shooting bricks, certain fabrics, ect... But I agree with you when it comes to shooting with what your comfortable with. Maybe soon Canon will get us a dslr without the moire issues.
 
For me the AF101 was a no-brainer.

My last camera was an HVX200 with a Letus - so I already had a bunch of lenses, shoulder rig and had got used to changing lenses in the field.

I have however used DSLRs (5D and 550D) and I have always found them to be lacking when it comes to operating. The buttons are all hidden within menus. No scopes or zebras. No TC or colour bars. No focus assist. No usable audio options. No built-in ND. They are too small and even with a rig they feel like a Meccano set which needs to be built every time you use one. Limited record times and battery lives and they get hot.

I come from a post production background. Everything I film is going to be professionally graded - so I don't worry too much about skin tones - that will be decided in the grade.
 
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