There is always a little push to add gear, even when you are a hobbyist, but at the moment, I feel the options have gone next gen and I am using older gear on the whole.
This is I know an illusion, something I can easily coach someone else out of thinking, but can I do for myself and should I?
Looking at my kit critically, camera by camera, role by needed role, looking for holes, looking for possible overkill, looking for an excuse?
The EM1x (x3) is my main sports camera. The lenses that support it include (FF eq) 16~600 at f2.8 or f4 in zooms or primes and a range of 18~150 in fast primes, all “A” grade optics. The cameras are as fast as I need, faster than me basically and always a surprise. I am at one with them, something that cannot be under estimated.
Empowering a $100 lens to great heights, these are as good as I need. They are capable of empowering even my most basic lenses, so they actually expand my options.
The only thing I could want from them is slightly better low light performance, but considering my MFT lenses and their benefits, it would have to be found in another MFT camera, something I am not sure is worth the cost and I may already have it anyway (see below).
MFT as I have it handles noise well enough up to 6400 and a little noise is always ok for a gritty sports image, but dynamic range and colour suffers at ISO 6400 and gets worse above that. I can produce a usable image from a 12,800 file, but avoid it if I can.
Hand held 600mm at f4, 1/750th and ISO 6400 at my favourite dingy aquatic centre, something I am fully used to, but can I go better?.
Fixes possible are to shoot with a slower shutter speed accepting some lost files, or to use shorter, faster lenses (the MFT advantage), making sure to over expose and pull back, not underexpose and try to lift (it is always better to over expose ISO 12,800 than underexpose 6400).
There is no denying that full frame in exactly the same situation (magnification, aperture, ISO etc) does offer better quality at the cost of shallower depth of field. I just cannot justify a full frame 500 f4 or 300 f2.8, slower lenses mostly squander the format advantage and the available cross-over points are few (35-85 f1.8, 28-70 f2.8 and if I bought one, 70-200 f2.8).
Improving on these might be the G9II I already have, maybe an OM-1, but not “little white” the 50-200 which would add little in real terms. A 135 f1.8 or 150 f2 would be nice though :).
The G9II may be that camera, but to be honest I have never tried it.
It fills a lot of roles. It is my best video camera out of the box, meaning as is, or with only an SSD added, it is the most capable in almost every way except very poor light (it gets complicated).
It offers All-i, ProRes/HQ/V-Log without anything other than the SSD, or B-Raw with a BMVA 12g. It has the best stabiliser, the best video AF, most frame rate options, then it is also my highest res stills camera and it likely matches the EM1x’s in stills AF with possibly better high ISO performance (in colour and dynamic range).
I think some tests are in order.
In “full noise” video mode recording 4k or high speed 1080 V-Log in ProResHQ, but am I wasting it?
The only mild weakness is high ISO video (compared to the rest of my dual ISO video cams), video AF on some of the older MFT lenses and the big one is, I only have one. I feel that this is the stills upgrade I might need, but it is cemented into my video kit as the “movement” specialist. If I only had one camera for everything I do, I feel this would have to be it.
All my video options work with either standard SD cards or to SSD’s direct to or via a Video Assist 12g. This was deliberate and has saved me effectively a camera body or both my BMVA recorders in card costs alone. B-Raw is my end point, cameras that offer internal ProRes Raw with expensive card and high storage needs are of no interest.
The S5II is currently my “super hybrid”, the S5II gets a lot of filler work in both my video and stills kits and is my best out of camera V-Log option. It lacks SSD or RAW-out without the paid firmware update, but I keep resisting that as I have other many options.
For stills it is the low light fix, but is limited to a 20~85mm range, something that does not bother me overly. The Sigma 70-200 f2.8 is often floating around in the background as a sports option, but my main indoor sport is Basketball, something the 85mm or MFT 75 f1.8 are more than enough for.
I struggle with the size of full frame for my day kit, only justifying it if the video or low light stills are very real possibilities.
At this point in my stocktake, the G9II in this role probably makes more sense, but then the S5II then becomes the odd one out.
The S5 is one of two dedicated video cams. With RAW-out, a slightly less digitally sharp rendering than the S5II and decent enough stabe and AF if needed, I like it with the BMVA 5” as my hand held or B-cam.
It could be used as a fully capable stills cam, but I like it more in video.
An ungainly looking rig, it works well for run-n-gun held held or static work.
In this role, I see little reason to replace it, in fact with Panasonic sharpening up their recent video options, I might even buy one of these in this role now in preference or the BS1H, or maybe skip full frame all together with a BGH1.
My GH5s was bought specifically to be the MFT video champion, mainly as a cheaper way to get full frame-like dual ISO performance. It lacks internal stabilising and AF is “old school” like the S5 and G9’s, but it was bought to be a solid, no frills video specialist, a static A-cam, nothing more or less.
As the core of this rig, anything more like the G9II or S5II would probably be wasted.
I bought it over the BMPCC4k at the time because it was actually cheaper (rare), I already had the BMVA 7” and if needed it could be pressed into service as a stills cam, something the P4k cannot do.
I would not replace it as it is in a role it was designed for and does it perfectly well. B-Raw is my maximum video quality end goal, 4k/50 my maximum in that space, so the lure of ProRes Raw is of no interest (V-Log is enough for most projects, ProRes is an option, B-Raw is better again).
The EM1.2 (x2), the long lens half of my day kit (with a G9) are old, beaten up, occasionally “twitchy”, but reliable enough for most jobs. The AF is plenty for sports with better lenses, the low light decent enough, they are solid without being exceptional these days, but solid gets most jobs done.
To be honest I do not really treat them any differently to the EM1x’s when I am working, but I find them slightly “laggy” compared to the X’s from off to ready to shoot, but they are still faster than most Panasonics.
If these were my high water mark, I would be ok. The demise of one will likely mean regularly using a spare EM1x as a day cam, but both would mean chasing up another new gen stills cam like an OM1 or second G9II.
The G9 (x2) is the wide angle day cam in partnership with above. These are maybe slightly better than the EM1.2’s in many ways, closer the the EM1x in low light, handling and general feel, but the DFD focussing makes for an odd experience with sports (no Pana long lenses), and video AF is slightly unreliable.
Video is lovely, if limited to non-Log profiles (I like Standard), although I have not looked closely into their HDMI output to the BMVA 12g (which they do). Maybe HLG or Cine-D in ProRes would be worth a look?
The only thing that could be improved here would be hybrid video, and video/sports AF, i.e. a G9II. I will not replace a worn out one with the same, but I will miss them.
EM10.2 (x2) the “shutter savers” are my usual third cameras, because it is easier and faster to change a camera than a lens and these are sure footed enough to use as short telephoto snipers.
I usually have one in my bag with a lens I might need, like the 9mm or a 45mm. Both have twitchy rear screens, so I usually use them to the eye, normal for longer lenses.
When used up, they will go and I doubt I will go this way again, but who knows. They are useful, have good enough image quality to mix it with the others and run for ages per battery.
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So, improvements in video are really not needed.
I do not lust after codecs I have no intention of supporting or storing (4k B-Raw at 5:1 already eats up massive amounts of storage), I have state of the art AF, stabilising and several endurance options as good as I would need (in multiple options) and basically as good as I can get. Maybe another BMVA 5” would be added as a backup and to upgrade the G9II, but then I loose it’s small size portability, so more likely a cheap BMPCC4k, freeing up the G9II for stills.
An S1mkII or GH7 bring unwanted internal ProRes Raw, have expensive card needs, give me nothing above what I need and the S1 adds possible over heating issues. The G9II matches the AF and stabe and if V-Log is enough the S5II comes close enough as well. If I feed out to a BMVA 12g, what have I really gained?
In stills, the only thing that worries me slightly is low light sport, but I may have the answer already (G9II) and nobody is complaining. I can usually use the 75 f1.8 or shorter for basketball and netball, the f2.8 zoom when needed and even occasionally an f4 lens in some venues. I fear nothing really up to ISO 6400, f2.8, 1/500th, plenty for most venues.
Full frame for very low light is tempting, the Sigma 70-200 f2.8 the best option there ($1800au), but again 24mp and the super sharp 85mm S-prime does most of what I need and I get maybe two jobs a year where it matters (most top end sports have good light, the low end ones don’t expect miracles).
The ultimate would be the S1.2 with the 100-500 (Pana) and 70-200 (Sig), but I am not getting the work to warrant it.
Shopping list options;
A second G9II for stills ($2000au+). This would give me possibly a stop better low light sports performance, the extra pixels would also allow for the f2.8 zoom to be used more and cropped.
Firmware upgrading the S5II for video ($250au). The G9II then becomes the possible hybrid option (see above) adding power to my sports kit and the S5II becomes the movement cam (which it basically could do now in V-log). The G9II is no smaller than the S5II, but the much smaller lenses are shared with the stills kit.
Adding a 70-200 Sigma to the FF kit ($2000au+). Tis gives me reach when needed for tough indoor sports, elevating my kit to match some top end shooters.
So, the answer to the question “do I need to upgrade” comes back with a soft, “when I can, if I need”, no rush.